For many students, school starts later this week, and for many parents that means trying to figure out what their child should do after school.
A lot of parents send their kids to after-school programs or a neighbor's house.
There are also some kids that go home alone.
KRCG’s Facebook Crew spoke with some experts Monday to find out what they think is the appropriate age to let a child be home alone.
Most schools will be back in secession by the end of this week, but what are students doing after school?
Are they going home alone or are they going to an after school program?
Most Mid-Missouri parents are still trying to work that out.
According to the Department of Social Services, Missouri doesn’t have a law on how old a child has to be before they can stay home alone.
But the American Red Cross and YMCA's childcare director had answers on what the appropriate age is.
They both said it depends on the child's maturity.
"I think it depends on the child. I think some kids are ready for that responsibility at a young age, but I think some are not. So it's just the parents’ call,” YMCA School Age Childcare Director Jessica Kever said.
“It depends on the maturity of the child. You don't want a first grader home alone, and sometimes even an older child that's in junior high. It all depends if the child is emotionally ready,” The American Red Cross Mike Flanagan said.
Flanagan said if you have child that goes home alone after school it's very important that you talked to them about what to do if something goes wrong.
"Parents should make a plan. Parents should talk with their kids about what to do when they get home, like should they call mom or dad and so on,” Flanagan said.
Flanagan told me that parents just need to set rules for their children to follow while they’re home alone.
If you don’t know exactly what to talk about here are some tips the American Red Cross sent out to remind parents about home alone safety.
If a child doesn't feel comfortable with staying home alone after school, then you should look into sending them somewhere with adult supervision like the YMCA after school program.
"It’s educational, but it's fun. There are a lot of hands on and group oriented activities. There is not a lot of sitting and studying. It’s very fun and interesting time for children,” Kever said.
Kever told me the after school program runs till about 5:30 pm during the school year.
So tell us what you think. Do you trust your child to stay home alone?
Preview Story:
Do you let your child stay home alone?
Since school starts this week many viewers are brainstorming to figure out what they should do with their children after school.
Do you send your child to an after school program, or do you trust that your child can stay home alone for a few hours?
Tonight a ten KRCG's Facebook crew talks with experts to get their opinions on what is the appropriate age for a child to stay home alone.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKRCG