CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP/WTVO) – Many parents breathe a sigh of relief once their child is old enough for more responsibility, including staying home alone. After all, finding a babysitter can be tough, not to mention expensive.
But is allowing your child home alone legal in Massachusetts? Could you be prosecuted if your child is found unaccompanied at home?
Leaving a child home alone is not illegal in Massachusetts and there is no minimum age however, the “abandonment of a child under 10” and neglect are decided on a case-by-case basis, according to Massachusetts law.
Illinois has the highest age requirement to be left home alone in the country, according to a list complied by iMom. Massachusetts along with 33 states do not have a minimum age. Maryland and North Carolina have the lowest minimum age at 8 years old.
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