At What Age Can My Child Be Legally Left Alone In Texas?
I get it. Life is busy for most Texans. When you have children at home it can become even more difficult. Finding someone to watch your young children is common for many reasons. There's work and errands just for starters. Childcare can be a real problem.
I'm the oldest of the kids in my family. So, growing up I was usually put in charge of watching my younger sisters if my dad was working and my mom ran to the store. There were never any incidents but it makes me wonder if I was even old enough at the time to be left alone and in charge.
LOOK: AT WHAT AGE CAN MY CHILD BE LEGALLY LEFT ALONE IN TEXAS?
Leaving young children home alone is on the rise. But, is it legal to leave your young children alone? In a blog from attorneys Varghese and Summersett, the answer is revealed.
The answer kind of depends. When it comes to what age you can leave a child home alone, the Texas law doesn't specify an age. However, it does state that if a child under 15 is left alone and something bad occurs (such as a fire, etc.) you could be charged with child abandonment.
Child abandonment in Texas means leaving a child without providing reasonable and necessary care for the child. You've got to be careful to protect yourself and your children. I know there are plenty of reasonable 15 years out there but it's the things that happen that they can't control. That's the scary part. The short video below dives further into the story.
I think we'll all agree that the protection and safety of the children are most important to everyone involved.
These Children From Texas Went Missing in February, Have You Seen Them?
Gallery Credit: Chad Hasty
More From KZCD-FM
