Home Alone? Leaving a Child Home Alone is Not Illegal in Ohio, but There are Other Factors Parents Should Consider

Many Ohioans will be surprised to learn that  Ohio has no law declaring the legal age a child can be left home alone. Even more surprising is that most other states refrain from defining a legal age for unaccompanied children at home; however, most experts agree that parents should not take this decision lightly.

Advice for Making a Decision

The Ohio Children’s Trust Fund, an advocacy group to prevent child abuse, advises that, “parents and caregivers need to consider their child’s maturity level and their ability to make safe and sensible decisions.”

This includes the following key factors:

Communicate: Talk with your child about how they feel about staying home alone and what they would do in certain situations to gauge their level of readiness. 

Have a Safety Plan: Make sure that children can unlock and open the door or window and that they know what to do once they are  safely out of the house. It is also important that children know how and when to contact 911 and that they know how to give police and fire the contact information for you at work. Consider creating a family information sheet that contains the names and phone numbers for parents as well as for a safe, adult emergency contact.

The American Red Cross provides a detailed list of how parents and children can prepare and make a plan together.

Have Easy Meals and Snacks Available: Avoid foods that would require the use of a stove or conventional oven and stock things that can be reheated in the microwave or eaten cold or at room temperature.

Consider Other Factors

While there are no laws governing the age of children home alone, the Cleveland Law Library recommends that parents consider other laws and statutes that could affect their decisions. This includes Ohio Revised Code chapters: ORC 2919.22 Endangering children and ORC Chapter 2151, especially ORC 2151.03, which defines child neglect.

Most importantly, parents AND children need to feel comfortable with the decision and be willing to reassess arrangements frequently and make changes if needed.