What is the legal age for children in Louisiana to stay at home alone?

Answer

Louisiana has not created a law on this topic. The child should be safe, feel safe and know how to handle emergencies. Most authorities believe that a 12 or 13 year old can be safely left alone for an hour or two during daylight hours.

Legal Age

There are very few states in the U.S. with legal minimum ages for children home alone, but many state agencies have published guidelines. Georgia, Illiniois, Maryland and Oregon are a few of the states with specific ages mentioned in their laws.

12 years of age appears to be the most common recommendation. Below in Related Links is an article entitled Home Alone Children Legal Age Limits state by state comparison with references.

One guideline from a California child welfare representative suggests that 8 year olds and over can be left at home for a brief amount of time(such as just after school). The most common statement is that a child's maturity should be the determining factor and not just age.