At what age can a child stay home alone in Arizona? What to know as summer break hits

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Arizona children are largely done with school for the year and ready to relax and have fun for summer break.

And with summer break comes the inevitable question for parents — what do I do with my child this summer? If the parents aren’t able to watch their children all summer long, they are likely searching for daycare, babysitters, summer camps and other forms of child care.

If you don’t already have child care lined up, some parents of older children may be wondering if their child is able to stay home alone.

Here’s everything Arizona parents need to know before they leave their children home alone, what the law says and a checklist of questions to consider.

What age can kids stay home alone in Arizona?

There is no state law in Arizona mandating an appropriate age for children to be left alone. However, parents could violate child safety laws if their lack of supervision exposes children to danger.

A study by the Morrison Institute for Public Policy at ASU found that the leading reason for calls to the state’s child abuse hotline was lack of supervision. That label covered many categories, from being exposed to dangerous situations in a home to being left unattended.

Although lack of supervision was the leading complaint, based on data from 2013-2015, the study concluded that most such cases did not involve removing the child from their home.

While there is no age specification in Arizona, the National SAFE KIDS Campaign recommends that children under 12 not be left home alone. The campaign also advises that older siblings should be at least 15 before being responsible for looking after younger children.

What to consider before leaving your child home alone

Judy Krysik, associate director for academic affairs at Arizona State University’s School of Social Work, developed a checklist of things to consider when evaluating whether a child can be trusted to stay home alone safely.

• Is the child comfortable being home alone? If the answer is “no,” look for other child care options, Krysik said.
• Have you rehearsed the “home alone” scenario? This allows parents to gauge how children will respond to different situations before ever leaving them unattended. It also helps prepare them for the day you do decide they are old enough.
• Can your child do these basics? The child should be able to calmly and clearly give their name, address and phone number in case a call to an emergency number is needed.