Department of Children and Family Services Guidelines for Supervision
- Children eight years or younger should not be left alone.
- Children between the ages of nine years and twelve years, based on level of maturity, may be left alone for brief (less than two hours)
- periods of time.
- Children thirteen years and older, who are at an adequate level of maturity, may be left alone and may perform the role of babysitter, as authorized by the parent, for up to twelve hours.
- These guidelines assume that the child’s age is equivalent with his or her developmental level.
- A child’s maturity should ALWAYS factor into how much supervision is needed.
