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SALT LAKE CITY -- At what age are children able to take care of themselves? There are resources that help parents make this kind of decision.
Asking the question, "How old is ‘old enough' to leave a child home alone?" I got varying answers.
Some people said 10 was a good age, while others said they'd wait until a child was 13 before they left them home alone. A lot of people thought 12 was the magic number.
What does the law says is the minimum age a child can be left alone? The law doesn't say. Salt Lake City police Detective Dennis McGowan says they get calls all the time from concerned people saying a neighbor child is alone. They wonder if that's a crime.
A checklist of things kids should know to take care of themselves includes "Can your child lock and unlock doors?" "Can they solve problems on their own?" "Can they tell time?"
"We encourage that type of contact with the police. A lot of people don't want to be involved and that's not what we want," he said.
When police do check on these children, officers have to use their judgment on whether a child is too young to be unsupervised, and a lot goes into that decision.
"We're looking at the kids closely; their physical appearance, what they're dressed in, how they look, if they exhibit any signs of neglect. Then we look around the house, we make sure all the utilities are functioning, we make sure that the lights work, that there's food in the refrigerator [and] there's running water," McGowan said.
So, officers may find an 8-year-old alone who is just fine, and on the same night find a 12-year-old who shouldn't be unsupervised. So, how do you know if your children are ready to be by themselves? Child Care Resources and Referral Program Director Encarni Gallardo says they get that question a lot.
"That's why we've put together some resources for parents to understand when a child is ready to stay home alone," Gallardo said.
They've put together a checklist of things kids should know to take care of themselves. Some of the items on the list include, "Can your child lock and unlock doors?" "Can they solve problems on their own?" and, "Can they tell time?"
"Younger children don't have a concept of the passing of time and they might not know how long they've been alone," Gallardo said.
Other items on the list include, "Do they feel confident when alone?" "Do they know where the flashlight and first aid kit are located?" and, "Can they make a sandwich?"
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
