Date: 03/17/22

Author: Attorney Jean Butler

How Old do Children Need to be to Stay Home Alone?

Unlike many states, Illinois has a law in place which states a child must be at least 14 years of age to stay home alone. However, Illinois state Rep. Sue Scherer has introduced an amendment to the law that if passed, would eliminate the age restrictions which are currently in place. Instead, parents will decide if and when their children are responsible and mature enough to stay home unsupervised. If the amendment passes, Illinois will join 39 other states where there are no age restrictions at all. To clarify, if the bill passes, parents will determine when their children are mature enough to stay home by themselves. 

When Will My Child Be Ready?

Most importantly, keep in mind that this is case by case and depends on you and your child. First, is your child ready to be home alone. Some children will feel ready at a much earlier age than others depending on their confidence level. Second, will any other siblings be home alone with an older sibling? If so, will the younger children obey the older sibling? Third, is your child prepared for an emergency situation? Fourth, how long will the child be home alone? A few hours is different from overnight. These are all questions only you can determine. Simply because the law does not have an age requirement does not mean parents cannot be get into trouble with the law if something bad happens. 

Preparing Kids to Stay Home Alone

Firstly, you will want to go over basic things with them like showing them where the locks on windows and doors are. In addition, establish a protocol for when there are visitors during the day that ring the doorbell. Furthermore, it is probably good to familiarize your child with basic kitchen safety skills. Likewise, a parent should take a moment to discuss basic first aid protocol with their child in case of injury. Lastly, take time discuss appropriate and inappropriate times for calling parents or other adults for help. 

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