Home Alone: How Young is Too Young in California?
Parents who are navigating custody issues often face the tricky question of when it is legal and safe to leave their child home alone in California. Can your ex leave your 13-year-old alone for a night out? Is it okay to leave your 10-year-old for a quick trip to the store? Can a 13-year-old babysit a younger sibling?
In California, there is no specific law that sets a minimum age at which a child can be left home alone. However, no one should take that to mean that anything goes. There may not be a legally set age, but that is not because “any age goes.” There is more to a child’s ability to be left home alone than pure age alone, and laws do exist under child endangerment and neglect laws.
While technically there’s no set minimum age, the state expects that children must be mature enough to care for themselves and respond appropriately in emergencies if they are left home alone.
Practical Standards
The California Department of Education and Child Welfare Services generally recommend that children under age 12 should not be left home alone, especially for extended periods of time or without access to help.
So, while maturity, not simply age, is key – age 12 is considered by some organizations as a minimum reasonable age.
Considerations
Remember, as no minimum age is provided as the set minimum for being left home alone, it could, theoretically, be possible to inappropriately leave a 16-year-old home alone. It is important to consider the circumstances of your own situation and your individual child. Some things to consider when determining whether leaving a child home alone is neglectful/endangering him/her might include:
- What is your child’s age, and maturity level?
- Can they make safe decisions?
- Do they know how to call 911?
- How long were they left alone?
- At what time of day (day vs. night) and how safe is the neighborhood they’re left in?
- Do they have access to food?
- Does the child have special needs?
- Are other siblings present? What are their ages?
Legal Consequences for Leaving a Child Too Young – Contact Cardwell Steigerwald Young, LLP
California Penal Code § 273(a) covers child endangerment, which may be charged if a child is left alone in unsafe conditions. This can lead to misdemeanor or felony charges depending on the circumstances. Child custody orders may also be changed if it is adequately proved that the child’s best interest is not being served, and they are being put in harm’s way when at a parent’s home. For specific advice and help in your own scenario, contact an experienced San Francisco family law attorney at Cardwell Steigerwald Young LLP today.
Source:
desertsun.com/story/news/nation/california/2024/07/15/what-age-can-kids-stay-home-alone-in-california-tips-for-parents/74395727007/
