With a slightly longer summer for most Milwaukee Public Schools this year, many kids are bouncing between babysitters, summer camps and friends’ houses. But if you’re without childcare — either for a few hours or through the summer — you might be asking yourself whether your child can stay home alone.
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you make the decision.
At what age can a child be left home alone in Wisconsin?
Like the majority of U.S. states, Wisconsin does not actually have a legal age requirement for children to be left home alone. The state leaves this decision up to parents.
Wisconsin does have more specific laws around abandonment and neglect of children, stating any person who leaves a child somewhere where they may suffer, with intent to abandon them, is guilty of a felony. A person is also guilty of neglect if they do not provide basic care — such as food, clothing and shelter — to a child for reasons other than poverty.
Additionally, child labor laws in Wisconsin say kids must be at 12 or over to take on babysitting jobs in non-business homes, and 14 or over to babysit in businesses.