Guidelines For Parents in Ontario
Children 0 to 4 Years Old
Children in this age group must be supervised at all times!
Children 5 to 7 Years Old
Children in this age group may play unsupervised for up to 30 minutes when a parent (or ageappropriate caregiver) is at home and can check-in regularly with the child or is able to see the child.
Many children in this age group can be taught to walk to school by themselves, however, it is preferred that children in Kindergarten and Grades 1 and 2 are accompanied by a caregiver when walking to school or waiting for the school bus.
Children 8 to 9 Years Old
Children in this age group should not be left alone before or after school. When a parent (or age-appropriate caregiver) is at home, children aged 8 to 9 may play unsupervised in the immediate neighbourhood for up to 1 hour after the conditions listed below have been taken into consideration. There should not be a pattern of leaving a child unsupervised.
• the child knows general rules of safety
• the child knows how to react in case of fire, power outage and other emergencies
• the safety of the external and internal environment has been assessed
• the developmental age and abilities of the child have been considered
• the child is generally cooperative and can be depended on to follow rules
Parents are ultimately responsible for their children’s safety!
Children 10 to 11 Years Old
Children in this age group may be occasionally left alone at home for up to 1-2 hours (e.g. after school 3:30pm-5:30pm), provided they have no fear or anxiety staying home alone and the child’s level of maturity matches this arrangement.
Children in this age group should not be home alone for any period of time during overnight hours or take care of younger siblings or friends. In order to ensure a child’s safety, parents should teach them general safety rules which should include the following:
• how to react in case of a fire, power outage and other emergencies
• how to use the telephone and how to answer the telephone or door (and know the dangers of each)
• whom to contact in an emergency
• where to find emergency and contact numbers (both should be posted by the phone)
• where emergency supplies, like a flashlight and first aid kit, are kept and how to use them
• how to use a house key responsibly
• how to set limits with friends
• where to play, with whom and for how long
• most communities offer home alone saftey courses for this age group and older
Children 12 - 16
It is recommended that children in this age group are not left alone overnight. Children in this age group are often able to babysit younger children. They should be able to demonstrate that they can follow safety rules. A babysitter is someone who has a babysitting certificate has demonstrated a commitment to take care of younger children and has learned skills that help keep children safe.
• a 12 or 13 year old babysitter should not be left in charge of more than 2 children; should not be responsible for cooking, supervising swimming, or the bathing of children; must always have access to consultation with a parent or responsible adult within 5 minutes; and it is generally preferred / recommended that they do not babysit after midnight or for periods longer than 4 hours per day.
• a sitter’s number one priority should be looking after the children NOT entertaining friends, listening to music, using the computer, etc….
• it’s the job of the parent(s) to hire a sitter to look after their children adequately
Additional Safety Tips
• never leave a child alone in a car
• never leave a child alone with pets (pets can be unpredictable)
• never leave a child near water (bathtub, pool, hot tub, river….)
• never leave matches, lighters, ashtrays, candles and other fire hazards within the reach of a child
Section 136 of the CYFSA
Leaving child unattended
(3) No person having charge of a child younger than 16 shall leave the child without making provision for the child’s supervision and care that is reasonable in the circumstances.
Allowing child to loiter, etc.
(4) No parent of a child younger than 16 shall permit the child to,
(a) loiter in a public place between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m.; or
(b) be in a place of public entertainment between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m., unless the parent accompanies the child or authorizes a specified individual 18 or older to accompany the child.
Police may bring child home or to place of safety
(5) Where a child who is actually or apparently younger than 16 is in a place to which the public has access between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. and is not accompanied by a person described in clause (4) (b), a peace officer may bring the child to a place of safety without a warrant and proceed as if the child had been brought to a place of safety under subsection 84 (1).
The contents of this page may assist you in creating a supervision plan. However, a caregiver must at all times ensure that the plan is consistent with expectations as stated in the Child, Youth and Family Services Act (CYFSA). Parents are ultimately responsible for their children’s safety!
View or Download this CAS Pamphlet 1
