Is it legal to leave kids home alone in Kansas and Missouri? What to know this summer
For some parents, leaving your child home alone may feel taboo. For many others, it’s necessary to carry out all the day’s tasks. Some states have restrictions on what age children can be left unattended, but in Kansas and Missouri, no laws set any age limits for children staying home by themselves.
For the most part, both states require families to use their best judgment when it comes to leaving their children alone. If a child is left alone and social services receive a report, officials may perform a wellness check and follow up with the parents.
The Children’s Division of the Missouri Department of Social Services and the Kansas Department of Children and Families both have guidance for parents considering leaving their children alone at home. Although the guidance is not enforced by law, both departments still reserve the right to follow up on certain reports if they receive complaints of children left alone with no supervision.
Here’s a breakdown of what each state suggests parents consider before leaving their children alone at home.
Can you leave a child home alone in Missouri?
Again, there is no Missouri law that restricts when a child can be left alone. However, the state social services department will conduct a face-to-face safety check on children 8 years old or younger if the department receives a report on the state’s abuse and neglect hotline.
When making the decision to leave a child alone, Missouri social services suggests that parents ask themselves several questions including:
Can their child handle boredom?
Do they know how to safely make a snack or meal?
Do they know how to respond if someone calls or knocks on the door?
Does their child regularly follow the rules?
Even if parents believe their child is responsible and mature enough to be left alone at home, they should still limit that alone time. Here’s a guide on the subject from Missouri’s Children’s Divison.
Can you leave a child home alone in Kansas?
Families will also have to make their own judgment call when it comes to leaving a child home alone in Kansas. The state’s Child in Need of Care code does not have a set age that restricts when children can be left alone, but the state does have some guidance.
One of the first factors the state social services department asks parents to consider is the child’s age, advising that children that are 6 years old or younger should never be left alone, even for short periods of time. Children that are 6 to 9 years old can be left alone for short periods of time, if they are mature enough to handle it, and children 10 years old and older can be left alone for longer, but parents should use discretion, according to the department.
The state also asks that parents consider:
How long the child will be alone
The maturity of the child
How well the child understands emergency information
Whether the child will be able to reach a parent or caretaker by phone
The child’s behavior when unsupervised
Here’s a Kansas guide on factors to consider before leaving a child home alone.
How to prepare a child to stay home alone
The Missouri Children’s Division suggests setting clear rules and expectations for the child and preparing a safety plan to make sure they know how to respond in case of an emergency. Both Missouri and Kansas offer these tips to parents who are trying to decide when to leave their children alone at home:
Discuss who else is allowed to come over
Lock up guns, alcohol and medication
Make sure the child knows how to reach any emergency contacts
Make sure your child knows basic first aid
Teach your child how to care for younger siblings
Go over what they would do in case of a fire, tornado, stranger at the door, etc.
Do a trial run or role-play scenario to ensure the child is ready.
What to do while you’re away
While the child is actually home alone, the U.S. Children’s Bureau, suggests parents give children a list of chores to keep them busy. Parents should also check in often, encourage their children to share how they feel about being home alone and follow up about how the time went, according to the Bureau.
What about leaving a child in a car?
If you plan to quickly run into the store, you might have to take your child along with you. Missouri and Kansas restrict how old a child can be before they can be left in a car unattended. In Missouri, leaving a child that is 11 years old or younger unattended in a car is a class C felony if the child causes a car accident. That felony could lead to three to 10 years in prison if found guilty.
Kansas statute does prohibit children under 10 years old from being left alone in a vehicle, when in the custody of a daycare. There is no law that restricts when families can leave their own children in a car alone.
