«As you can see in Section I, there is no legal age for a child to stay home alone; However, the North Carolina Fire Code states that children under the age of eight should not be locked up or locked up,» Smith said. Raleigh-based law firm Felton Banks addressed the issue (www.feltonbanks.com/lawblog/2017/12/18/at-what-age-can-a-child-be-left-home-alone) in December 2017 and quickly noted fire safety information. Section 14-318 of the North Carolina General Act states that a parent or guardian may not lock up or leave a child under the age of eight (8) unattended in a home, building, etc. to expose the child to a fire hazard. A violation of the law is a Class 1 offence. There is only 1 class above that. Most states don`t have laws setting an age requirement for child custody, and only some have guidelines on how to age a child before being left home alone. These guidelines range from six to 14 years. Here is a list of states with this policy: Colorado: 12*, Delaware: 12*, Georgia: 8*, Illinois: 14, Kansas: 6*, Maryland: 8, Michigan: 11*, Mississippi: 12*, Nebraska: 7*, New Mexico: 10*, North Carolina: 8, North Dakota: 9*, Oregon: 10*, Tennessee: 10* and Washington: 10*. The firm also points out that it does not offer legal advice through the article. However, the law does not specify what the age of discretion is, 2. The term age of discretion legally refers to the age at which a person has sufficient knowledge to act responsibly or competently in certain situations, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary 2.

Each child reaches this age at a different time; A parent must honestly assess their child`s ability not only to think quickly in an emergency, but also to be mature enough to deal with sibling conflict, maintain their own temperament when goaded by siblings, and call for help when needed. *The age shown is the recommended minimum age at which a child can be left home alone instead of a minimum/legal age. Jessica Zimmer is a journalist and lawyer living in Northern California. She has practiced in a variety of areas, including criminal defense, property law, immigration, labour law and family law. The «right» or «minimum age» to let someone start caring is a subjective issue. Factors such as the age and maturity of the child or dependent children and the maturity of the caregiver are important to consider, as well as the amount of care the child or dependent children require. This includes the number of hours and special care the child or children require. Nonprofits such as the American Red Cross and the YMCA of Greater Charlotte offer child care classes such as the Safesitter Certification or the Babysitter Foundation course for teens 11 and older. These courses teach the basics of infant and child care, emergency procedures, and age-appropriate activities for young children. North Carolina has no state law regarding teens and babysitting.

This means that there is no state prohibition on a teenager providing child care in their home or parents` home. A non-profit organization that provides parents with referrals to daycares does not provide contacts for teens who are babysitters. Real answer: First of all, it gets complicated, and if you are in a legal or custody situation, please consult a lawyer for advice. I know it`s tempting to seek legal advice from a newspaper columnist with an English degree, but I really don`t recommend it. The American Red Cross offers childcare and childcare classes to prepare course participants with universal skills and techniques that every babysitter should have. These courses are available online for those who prefer to study as they please or in a personal classroom with access to highly qualified teachers and classroom activities. These courses include basic care for infants and children, basic first aid, child behaviour, emergency protocols, leadership and age-appropriate activities. The Red Cross also offers CPR/AED first aid and certification courses. There is no prohibition for a person over the age of 13 to babysit, and there is no specific age, such as 11 or 13, that a babysitter must have to care for children.

«This decision tree does not encompass everything in terms of screening for inappropriate surveillance reports. There may be situations where you answer no to these questions, but accept the report and initiate a survey evaluation based on other information you received while you are taking it. The policy provides that a child under the age of 17 who is in grades 7 to 12 may supervise non-siblings if they have completed the Army Child and Youth Guardian Certification (CYSS) class or equivalent. A child in these classes does not need to have completed the course to care for his or her siblings. A particular community, such as a military installation, may have its own childcare rules. For example, Fort Bragg`s home single person policy applies to children aged 17 and under who live in Fort Bragg neighborhoods, use Fort Bragg facilities, walk from Fort Bragg to and from school, and are at bus stops in Fort Bragg. Technically, you could leave a child 9 and older alone, but there are many variables that come into play, and that could often be a very bad idea. Yes, you can create an anonymous report of abuse or neglect.

However, if you choose not to provide your contact information, you will not receive notification of the outcome of the report, including whether the report meets the criteria for abuse or neglect, the name of the social worker, the procedure for requesting a review of the decision, and an explanation of whether the report was forwarded to law enforcement.