Can a 11 year child home alone in Ontario?

Answer 1

Yes. There is actually no age definitions in Ontario for a child to be left alone. A child can be left alone if they have the maturity to be able to handle it. This directly from CAS. However, they aren't to be left overnight alone only for short times during daylight hours. Their website states: At what age can a child be left home alone? The Child and Family Services Act does not identify an age when a child can be left alone, or an age at which a child can supervise or babysit other children. The Act recognizes that age alone is not a sufficient safeguard for the supervision of children. The Act says that a person who has charge of a child less than 16 years of age cannot leave the child without making provision for his/her care or supervision that is reasonable under the circumstances. Anyone who contravenes this provision is guilty of a provincial offence and if convicted is liable to a fine of up to $1,000 and/or imprisonment of up to a year. In addition, the Criminal Code of Canada includes the offence of abandoning a child. Everyone who unlawfully abandons or exposes a child who is under the age of 10 years, so that its life is or is likely to be endangered, or its health is or is likely to be permanently injured is guilty of an offence that carries a penalty of imprisonment of not more than two years. If you're unsure as to whether it's okay to leave your child home alone, please consult with your local Children's Aid Society -- you don't have to give your name, or any identifying information. http://www.oacas.org/childwelfare/faqs.htm#alone