Check out a drone view of the Milwaukee skyline
Check out a drone view of the Milwaukee skyline on a beautiful August 2023 summer day.
Chelsey Lewis and Mike De Sisti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
As the school year comes to an end in Wisconsin, some parents might find it difficult to find care for children who, during the summer, no longer have a place to go every day.
That raises the question: At what age can children be left home alone in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin doesn’t have a law or specific age requirement that spells out when children can be left home alone. Instead, the decision is up to parents.
There are recommendations meant to guide parents and keep children safe, and Wisconsin has laws against child abandonment and neglect.
A parent can be charged with abandonment if they intentionally leave a child somewhere the child may suffer due to neglect. Similarly, a parent can face a neglect charge if they don’t provide basic care – such as food, clothing and shelter – to a child for reasons other than poverty.
Parents should consider their child’s maturity, emergency preparedness and their own time management when deciding if their child is ready to stay home alone.
When is a child ready to be home alone?
There isn’t a strict number to look for when deciding if a child is ready for self-care. Once a child starts showing the following maturity markers, it could mean they’re ready to be left home alone.
- A desire and willingness to stay alone
- Responsible decision-making like following written instructions for chores to be completed while alone
- Awareness of what others need
- Resourcefulness for self-fulfillment and entertainment
- Problem-solving skills.
These signs typically start to show between ages 9 and 12 but can appear later as well, according to the UW-Extension Home Alone program,
In general, a child should be willing to stay home alone, be able to provide for themselves with resources at home and feel capable of responding to home emergencies.
How to prepare your home before leaving a child alone
UW-Extension also recommends setting up a house properly before leaving a child there alone. Here’s the checklist to follow:
- Safe furnace/chimney/fireplace for heat
- Electrical wiring in safe working condition
- Smoke detectors
- Dangerous materials like firearms, chemicals and poisons all safely secured
- Home or cell phone with known emergency contacts
- Doors and windows that can lock
Can I leave my child at home alone with a younger child?
Another common way to avoid babysitting fees is to have an older child watch a younger sibling while the parent is away.
Again, there is no legal age requirement for children to watch their siblings alone in Wisconsin. A parent maintains full responsibility for the well-being of all their children if they choose to leave them home alone, according to the Wisconsin State Law Library.
The American Red Cross and most Wisconsin YMCA chapters offer babysitting classes for relatively low costs. Classes are offered to children 11 years and older.
Wisconsin does allow children 12 and older to take on babysitting jobs for non-business homes and children 14 and older for all babysitting jobs. Most jobs ask for proof of completion for babysitting training.
