When Can a Child Legally Be Left at Home Alone in Massachusetts?

The holidays are here, and it's time to snuggle up to watch the Home Alone movies. Except would a child in real life be able to defeat the wet bandits alone? Anyways all jokes aside, it was only a fantasy but I'm pretty sure if you have a big family like Kevin McCallister, your biggest fear would be leaving your youngest behind.

So, it comes down to the question is there a specific age for a child to stay home alone in Massachusetts?

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Shockingly, with a lot of strict laws that we have in the Baystate, there is no age restriction on children staying home alone. Now obviously there's an exception when a child is neglected or abandoned which Massachusetts takes a case like that very seriously. Below is information from mass.gov:

110 CMR 2.00
"Whenever used throughout 110 CMR, the following words shall have the following meanings, unless the context plainly requires otherwise....

Neglect means failure by a caretaker, either deliberately or through negligence or inability, to take those actions necessary to provide a child with minimally adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, supervision, emotional stability and growth, or other essential care; provided, however, that such inability is not due solely to inadequate economic resources or solely to the existence of a handicapping condition. This definition is not dependent upon location (i.e., neglect can occur while the child is in an out-of-home or in-home setting.)"

See also, the Mass. Dept. of Children and Families web page on Reporting child abuse and neglect. To report suspected child abuse, call (800) KIDS-508, or after hours, (800) 792-5200.

Under no circumstances I would ever dream of leaving a child home alone unless they were 100% ready to be independent. As of right now, I don't have any children but I do have nieces and nephews that I can relate about.

Heck, when I was a kid, my parents would only go for a quick errand and tell me keep the doors locked and don't answer to any strangers that may show up. I was like 11 or 12 at the time but I also had a dog that would bark like a madman when someone knocked at the door.

So what age do you feel it's okay to leave your child home alone? Let us know on the station app. 

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