Dear Friends,
Most of us have stayed home to slow the spread of COVID-19, but now many parents need to return to work outside the home and need to decide what to do with their children while they work. Not all child care providers are open for business, and others are open but have limited capacity. What if you do not have a child care provider? How old does your child have to be to be left alone while you go to work in Vermont?
Vermont, unlike some other states, does not have an age restriction law for when a child can stay home alone. Many experts use 12 years old as a general guideline for when a child may be able to stay alone, however, some suggest responsible children a little younger than 12 may be able to stay alone for a few hours. If you have more than one child, is the oldest child capable of looking after younger children? It may have to be for a shorter period. It also depends on how mature and responsible the oldest is and if there are any special needs or concerns about the younger children.
If you do decide to leave your children home, make sure your oldest child knows the following:
*Your full name, the name of the place where you work, your work phone number, and your cell phone number
*Their own full name, address and phone number
*How to dial 9-1-1 *Lock the door and keep doors and windows locked
*Check in with you by telephone or report to a neighbor at a regularly scheduled time
*How to answer the telephone without letting callers know they are alone
*And what to do in case of a fire.
If you need child care in Vermont, your Community Child Care Support Agency has child care specialists that can help you find child care and/or answer questions about child care in your area (https://dcf.vermont.gov/cdd/cccsa) or you can call 2-1-1.
For more information about child care in Vermont, check out Bright Futures Child Care Information System (http://www.brightfutures.dcf.state.vt.us/)
Reach out for support. We are here for you.
Call the Vermont Parent's Helpline at 1-800-CHILDREN (1-800-244-5373).
Check out our COVID-19 Resource Guide on our website at www.pcavt.org.
Remember, we will get through this TOGETHER!
Thank you for all you do to keep our communities healthy!
Sincerely,
PCAVT's Family Support Programs Team
Steve Ness, Heather Niquette, Cindy Wells, Amber Menard, and Cindy Atkins