The kind of supervision children need depends on their age, maturity, abilities, and surroundings. Adequate supervision is essential to keeping kids safe. An adult caregiver is accountable for the child's care, and inadequate supervision can be a type of neglect (neglectful supervision). Here are some of things you should think about when deciding how closely to supervise a child:

• How old, emotionally mature, and capable is your child?

• What is the layout and safety of the home, play area, or other setting?

• What are the hazards and risks in the neighborhood?

• What is your child's ability to respond to illness, fire, weather, or other types of emergencies?

• Does your child have a mental, physical, or medical disability?

• How many children are being left unsupervised?

• Do they know where you are?

• Can they contact you or other responsible adults?

• How long and how often is the child (or children) left alone?

Many states do not have laws that create a minimum age at which children may be left home without the supervision of a teenager or adult. The states that do have a minimum legal age to be home alone usually place it in the 10-14 years range—and many states provide that children age 0-6 may never be left home alone. Child Protective Services may investigate an incident or situation and determine that there was neglectful supervision of a child or children, and in some cases seek to remove the child or children from the custody of the parent or parents.

In Michigan, there is no specific law that states a minimum age at which a child can be left home alone. However, Child Protective Services (CPS) guidelines suggest that children under the age of 10 should not be left home alone, and those between 10 and 12 years old should not be left alone for more than a couple of hours during daylight and early evening hours. When determining whether supervision is adequate, several factors are considered, including the child's age, maturity, physical and emotional capabilities, the safety of the home environment, neighborhood risks, the child's ability to respond to emergencies, and whether the child has any disabilities. The number of children left unsupervised, their knowledge of the caregiver's whereabouts, their ability to contact the caregiver or another responsible adult, and the duration and frequency of being left alone are also important considerations. If CPS investigates and finds that a child was left in a situation that constitutes neglectful supervision, they may intervene, which could include removing the child from the parent's custody.