How Old Must a Child Be Before They Can Be Left Alone Unsupervised?

Full question:

What is the minimum age a child can be left alone to get themselves up and off to school?

• Category: Child Abuse
• Date: 04/07/2025
• State: Washington

Answer:

In Washington, child neglect is the negligent treatment or maltreatment of a child by a person responsible for the child's welfare under circumstances indicating harm or threatened harm to the child's health or welfare. The term includes both acts and omissions on the part of the responsible person. "General neglect" means the negligent failure of a person having the care or custody of a child to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, or supervision where no physical injury to the child has occurred.

Child neglect laws don't specify a maximum age for requiring a babysitter. The following are sections of a WA statute:

(6) "Child" or "children" means any person under the age of eighteen years of age.

(12) "Abuse or neglect" means the injury, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, negligent treatment, or maltreatment of a child by any person under circumstances which indicate that the child's health, welfare, and safety is harmed, excluding conduct permitted under RCW 9A.16.100. An abused child is a child who has been subjected to child abuse or neglect as defined in this section.

(15) "Negligent treatment or maltreatment" means an act or omission that evidences a serious disregard of consequences of such magnitude as to constitute a clear and present danger to the child's health, welfare, and safety, including but not limited to conduct prohibited under RCW 9A.42.100. The fact that siblings share a bedroom is not, in and of itself, negligent treatment or maltreatment.