The state to a new school year is approaching for many North Carolina families and that means some busy schedules; is your child able to stay at home alone after school?
As in many states, North Carolina's laws regarding children staying home without a parent present are somewhat flexible. Though there are statewide age specifications, individual maturity levels of children are also important to consider, meaning that parents can still be charged with child endangerment and similar offenses for leaving their children home alone before they are ready.
The good news is that, on top of a few more specific guidelines laid out by the state, certain state organizations offer guides on determining whether your child is mature enough to safely be left
at home alone.
Here's everything to know about the law in North Carolina and some suggestions from experts.
At what age can kids be left home alone in North Carolina?
According to N.C. Fire Code, which contains the only statewide age specifications, a child under the age of 8 cannot be left alone unsupervised. However, the individual maturity levels of children come into play more than the exact minimum age requirement.
Due to that last factor, it's still very much a possibility for parents to be charged with child endangerment or similar offenses for leaving children home alone before they're ready. To help determine whether a child is ready for "self-care," the North Carolina Pediatric Society created a decision-making guide.
How do you know what age you can leave your kid home alone?
The N.C. Pediatric Society guide asks parents a wide variety of questions on maturity, communication skills and more to determine an individual child's readiness. Some questions included were:
- Does my child want to be home alone?
- Does my child follow directions? Exercise self-control?
- Can my child tell an emergency from a non-emergency?
- Is my child overly fearful?
- Does my child have a concept of time?
- Has my child been involved in behaviors of concern?
- Can my child think logically and is he/she able to problem solve?
- Does my child listen to and speak with other adults, such as the neighbors?
- Can my child say, "No" to an adult who may want to come into the house?
The guide also stressed the importance of teaching your child what to do in emergencies such as a fire, injury or bad weather. The full list of things a child should know before being left home alone includes:
- Important names and telephone numbers: A list of important numbers should be posted by the telephone, if you have one, or somewhere prominent, with a way for your child to reach you, as well as a nearby adult and 911.
- When you’ll be home.
- How to use a telephone: Children should practice how to make a call, answer a call and write a message.
- How to dial 911 in an emergency.
- How to enter and exit the house, keep track of keys and lock and unlock doors easily.
- What appliances are OK to use alone and how to use them.
- Where to go for help: Children home alone need an adult who lives or works nearby who can help in case of an emergency or lost key.
Rolanda Mitchell, an education counselor at North Carolina State University, gave USA TODAY her metric for how parents might determine whether their child is ready in 2019.
"Parents should look for signs of responsibility when their children are with them before leaving them home alone," Mitchell said. "Are they able to follow directions without being told repeatedly? Do they only follow directions if you are there watching? If they only follow the rules when you’re watching, it’s unlikely that they will follow them when they are home alone. School behavior can also be a good indicator because school is where children spend the most of their time without their parents watching. If they’re misbehaving or violating rules, they may do the same when they’re home alone."
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Need to leave your kid home alone after school? Know these NC laws
