The arrest and conviction of a Virginia mother who let her 5-year-old walk alone in their gated community has sparked a national conversation around when a child is old enough to be left alone.
In Tennessee, there's no legal minimum age where children are allowed to walk alone, just as there's no law on when kids can stay home alone.
Several states − including Georgia, Florida and Virginia − have "reasonable childhood independence laws" that give families choices on when their kids can be alone, with exceptions for negligence.
But how do you know when the time or the circumstances are right for your kid?
What is the legal age Tennessee children can walk home alone?
There's no legal minimum age in Tennessee that determines when can walk home alone, according to Tennessee code.
Ashley Zarach, spokesperson for
the state Department of Children's Services, said DCS does not provide guidance to families.
"That really wouldn't be our place," Zarach said. "It's really a parent's judgment call to make. Parents really need to use their own judgment there and know their own child and what they're capable of."
Courtney Brandon, a licensed counselor in Knoxville, said there is not a one-size-fits-all answer.
"Maturity and developmental readiness play a big part," Brandon told Knox News. "A child should know traffic laws such as which side of the street to walk on and how to use a crosswalk safely, but they should also be mature enough to know how to handle a stranger approaching or to know how to contact an adult if they were in danger, or needed help."
How do you know when children can walk alone?
Since there is no law outlining a minimum age, it is legal for children to walk home alone. But there are other factors at play.
Tennessee does have laws against abuse, child endangerment and neglect, which can result in felony charges, depending on the situation.
Under state law, penalties are harsher against adults who knowingly abuse, endanger or neglect children under the age of 8. For example, any person who abuses or neglects a child under 18 commits a misdemeanor. If that child is 8 or younger, it would elevate to a felony.
But that is up to interpretation on a case-by-case basis.
Zarach said DCS abides by laws in state code but investigates potential problems depending on the situation.
Schools get involved for kids who are within walking distance. School leaders, in her experience, manage student transportation protocols to ensure the youngest students don't go unsupervised on their way home.
"If there was a 3-year-old wandering close to traffic and somebody called the child abuse hotline, obviously that type of situation would rise to the level of possible abuse or neglect because the child is in imminent danger," Zarach explained.
"If it's a 6-year-old walking a familiar route home from school," she continued, "the child has to be in danger or actively experiencing abuse or neglect for us to legally be able to go out and investigate."
Zarach said in those situations, DCS would more likely work with the school to coordinate transportation for that child.
When is it developmentally appropriate for kids to walk home alone?
Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Tennessee court system say children age 10 and up can be given more independence, such as walking or being left home alone. Brandon agrees that age should be the minimum.
"Often, I work with children who are chronologically a certain age, but they present as much younger," Brandon explained. "Birth order, neurodivergence, learning disabilities, trauma and anxiety disorders can all play a role in a child's 'developmental age,' which is more important than their chronological age."
A child's brain is developing every day, Brandon said, and there are large gaps between age groups even within elementary school. Children ages 5-7 lack solid reasoning skills, but by age 8, children have better problem-solving skills. At 11, children can reason more appropriately and process more information.
Brandon urged parents to understand children are not mini-adults − and recognize what dangers might be along the way when their kids walk to school.
"Parents may also compare what they were doing in childhood to what a child should be allowed/able to do now, but there are far more cars on the roads and more distractions (like cellphones) that kids have to navigate, that today's parents may not have had to face when they were children," she said.
Intelligence does not equate to readiness, either, Brandon said.
"Kids can imitate actions before they are developmentally able to process and understand them. A smart child may seem ready for more responsibility, but developmentally they aren't."
Caitlyn Meisner is the K-12 education reporter for Knox News. Email tips and story ideas to caitlyn.meisner@knoxnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Is it legal to let your child walk home alone? What parents should know
