Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS)

Supervision Guidelines for Unsupervised Children

Georgia's guidelines for leaving a child without adult supervision include:

• Children under 8 years old should never be left alone.

• Children between 9 and 12 can be left for brief periods of time (no more than two hours), such as children who arrive home from school before their parents get home and have a specific plan in place. These children cannot serve the role of babysitters to younger siblings, other young family members or friends.

• Children 13 and older can be left as babysitters. However, it is not recommended that 13-year-olds babysit infants, small children, or children requiring special attention due to medical concerns.

• Children 15 and older can be left home alone overnight depending on the maturity level of the child.

If these guidelines are not followed, parents/guardians may be referred to Georgia Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS)