Here's The Legal Age To Leave Your Kids Home Alone In Illinois

Can your kids hang out at home by themselves this summer?

Summer days when I was a teenager were so fun. I went to my fellow teen neighbor's house and we ate junk food all day and binge-watched MTV and chick flicks. Now that school's out, what do we do with the kiddos during the day?

Daycare is expensive (one of my friends is paying almost $500 per week!) and not all of us have the luxury of having family close by to watch the kids during the day. If your kid is responsible and on the cusp of being able to stay home by themselves you may be ready to just let them.

Illinois' Weird Law

When it comes to the legal age of leaving a kid home alone, Illinois has the highest age requirement of any state. Most states leave it up to the parents but if you're on the Illinois side of the QC, your kid needs to be at least 14 to stay home alone in Illinois.

That seems kinda late to me since a lot of us start babysitting around 13. According to Illinois Policy, it is considered neglect to leave a child younger than 14 home by themselves in Illinois. You, the parent, can get in trouble for it.

Only 3 other states even care about this. Maryland & North Carolina say that the minimum age to leave a kid home alone is 8. Oregon says it's 10.

Part of what makes it messy in Illinois is that the state can take a child from a parent without a warrant, leaning only on probable cause.

If you think it's time to prepare your kid to stay home alone this summer, you can get tips on how to do it from Illinois Department of Children & Family Services.