School’s out for most students. What age can you leave a child home alone in Florida?

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• Florida public schools are starting summer break, leaving parents to find childcare solutions.
• Florida has no legal age limit for leaving children home alone, but the National SAFE KIDS Campaign recommends 12.
• The National SAFE KIDS Campaign provides a checklist to assess a child’s readiness for being home alone.

Beginning this afternoon on Friday, May 30, nearly every Florida public school student will officially be on summer break. This means parents and guardians now have to find ways to keep kids busy until school starts again in August.

Bouncing around from daycare to summer camps to relative’s houses can easily add up. According to childcare agency Tootris, the average annual cost of full-time child care in Florida can range from $9,139 to $12,639, depending on the children’s age.

With these expenses, some families might be wondering if their children are ready to stay home alone. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you make the decision.

At what age can can kids stay home alone in Florida? What’s the youngest legal age?

Florida doesn’t have clear laws that specify an exact age for when children can legally stay home alone. It’s up to parents to decide when their children are old enough.

The state agency overseeing the welfare of children recommends they not be left home alone before age 12.

The state does have more specific laws surrounding child abandonment and neglect. According to Florida State Statutes, it is a felony of the third degree to deprive a child of necessary food, clothing, shelter, or medical treatment.

Can a 12-year-old babysit siblings in Florida?

According to the Florida Department of Children and Families, the National SAFE KIDS Campaign recommends children should not be left alone before the age of 12. It also notes that older siblings should not supervise younger children until 15.

What do other states say about leaving children home alone?

Of the states that have laws regarding when children can be left home alone, the age requirement varies widely.

On the lower end of the spectrum, Kansas allows children 6 to 9 years old to be left home alone for short periods, and children 10 and over to be left alone for “somewhat longer periods.” Among other factors, the Kansas guidance adds that parents should weigh their kids’ level of maturity and behavior in the absence of adults before leaving children alone.

On the other end, Illinois law says any person who leaves a child under 14 years old “without supervision for an unreasonable period” is guilty of neglect.

Several states, such as Tennessee and Washington, do not have an official age requirement but recommend children are at least 10 years old before staying home alone.

Checklist to determine if your child is ready to stay home alone, according to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign

Most experts agree that whether or not a child is ready to stay home alone depends on the individual child and parent.

To help determine if your child is ready for the responsibility, the National SAFE KIDS Campaign shared a list of questions to get a better idea:

• Is my child comfortable, confident and willing to stay home alone?
• Does my child consistently follow my rules and guidelines?
• Has my child demonstrated good independent judgment and problem-solving skills in the past?
• Is my child able to stay calm and not panic when confronted with unexpected events?
• Have I brainstormed with my child about what unexpected situations could possibly come up while he or she is alone, and how to handle them?
• Is my child consistently truthful with me? Does he or she readily come to me with problems and concerns?
• Does my child understand the importance of safety and know basic safety procedures?
• Will my child make decisions to stay safe, even at the risk of seeming rude or overly cautious to other children or adults?
• Does my child have the ability to calmly provide his/her name, address, phone number and directions to our home in an emergency?
• Can my child lock and unlock the doors and windows of our home?
• Can my child tell time?
• Is my child able to work independently on homework?
• Have my child and I established a clearly structured routine for when he or she is home alone, with defined responsibilities and privileges?
• If I have more than one child staying home, have the children demonstrated the ability to get along well and solve conflicts without physical fighting or adult intervention?
• Have my child and I had some “dry runs” to allow him or her to practice self-care skills while I am at home, butpurposefully “not available”?
• Is our neighborhood safe?
• Do we have neighbors that my child and I know and trust?

See additional tips for parents and caregivers

Once you have determined that your child is ready to stay home alone, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families shared tips to help caregivers prepare children for being home alone:

• Have a trial period and start small. When your child is ready, leave them home alone for a short time while staying close to home. This is a good way to see how they will manage.
• Talk about it beforehand. Encourage your child to share their feelings with you about staying home alone and address any thoughts or concerns they may have before leaving home alone.
• Teach them about safety. Before leaving your child home alone, make sure they are mature enough to handle the responsibility and understand the safety rules. Develop a family emergency plan to help them handle those situations, such as what to do in case of a fire, power outage, or stranger approaching the house. Practice basic first aid and teach them what to do if they have to contact emergency services, perhaps including a role play.
• Establish family rules and set boundaries. Set clear guidelines about what your child can and cannot do while home alone. Establish rules for screen time, internet usage, and the use of kitchen appliances or any other potentially dangerous items.
• Don’t overdo it. Avoid leaving your child at home alone overnight or for overly frequent periods. Consider other options or resources, such as family or friends or programs offered by their school, community centers, youth organizations, or faith-based groups, to help with supervising your child.
• Follow up. After your child is left home alone (including during any trial period), talk about the experience with them. How did they feel about it? Were they nervous? Did anything unexpected come up? If they were watching another child, ask how they felt about doing so.

When does school start in Florida for the 2025-2026 school year?

While some schedules are still being finalized, almost every Florida school is proposed to start the 2025-2026 school year on the first possible date — Monday, Aug. 11 — after Aug. 10.

Here’s when most counties go back to school:

Contributing: Maia Pandey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel