Home Alone Course Now Available Online
The popular Home Alone Safety course is now available online at homealonecourse.com. It’s a whole new way for children to learn about being more independent and resilient! This online home alone course is based on SOS 4 Kids in-class Home Alone course that has equipped tens of thousands of kids aged 9 – 12 across Canada with safety skills. At half the cost of the traditional in-class version, this self-guided tutorial uses engaging games, digital media, videos and colorful graphics to equip youth with skills for a lifetime of safety.
The online Home Alone Safety course will help youth learn to create safe environments for themselves at home, school, online and in their communities. There are 7 learning modules: street smarts, people safety, at home safety, online safety, fire safety, basic first aid and accident prevention. The goal is to empower youth to make confident choices, prevent dangerous situations and live a safe life. This is not about bubble-wrapping your kids, it’s about youth empowerment and giving them safety tools, say SOS 4 Kids’ co-founders Velma Ganassini and Sue Perry.
This unique and innovative program is intended for pre-teens who are beginning to stay home unsupervised for short periods of time. It can be done independently or with a parent/guardian or support worker to help reinforce key safety messaging. With this method of delivery, we will be able to reach many young people including youth with special needs, youth who live in communities that don’t offer our programs and youth who are not willing to spend 7 hours in the classroom.
The online home alone program is recommended for youth 10 or older and is approximately 2 hours of learning time with the ability to leave and return at one’s convenience. Children have
At What Age Can A Child Stay Home Alone?
Canada
The Canadian government has not defined a legal age at which a child can be left home alone. Manitoba and New Brunswick are the only two provinces in Canada where provincial child welfare acts state that children cannot legally be left home alone under the age of 12. In the other provinces, parents have guidelines to follow regarding this issue. In general, child protection agencies recommend that a child younger than 10 not be left alone and only for short periods of time.
United States
In the United States, only three States currently have laws regarding a minimum age for leaving a child home alone. Illinois law requires children to be 14 years old before being left alone; in Maryland, the minimum age is 8, while in Oregon, children must be 10 before being left home alone.
