The reporter I seen said they could se eth e corner of the block. How woudl the kids have got out of a locked apartment if there was a fire Incog? so on the other hand and im afraid yes I am being judgemental 3 defenseles children were left alone locked in an apartment. Sounds bad that way to me???
Did no one actually bother to read the link I posted?
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Quote:
Q: At what age can a child be left home alone?
(Response from the NSPCC, www.nspcc.org.uk)
[img]Download Failed (1)[/img]Most parents and carers find that they occasionally have to spend time away from their children. Often these times can be planned well in advance and suitable arrangements made to ensure that a child is well cared for. However, sometimes parents and carers may find that they are asked to do something which takes them away from their children at short notice. This can make preparation for care of their children in their absence difficult.
Children rely on adults to protect them. They rightly expect that protection from the adults responsible for their care is available at all times. Parents and carers have a responsibility to make sure that children are safe and content in their absence.
 At some point in a child's life their parent or carer will decide that he or she can safely be left alone for a certain period of time. Most children are safely left alone by their parents or carers, because the adult responsible for their welfare has thought carefully about this decision and is well aware of the strengths and limitations of the child concerned.
However there are times when all parents considering leaving their children for a period of time are uncertain about their safety.
What the law says
There is no law that determines the minimum age that a child can be left alone. However it is an offence to leave a child alone when doing so places them at risk.
How do you decide if you can safely leave a child alone?
There are many factors that can influence the decision of a parent or carer to leave the children in their care at home alone. These include: - the age of the child
- the child's level of maturity and understanding
- the location where the child will be left
- the time and frequency the child will be left alone
- whether or not there are any other children in the household.
For example, most parents would think it is OK to leave a sixteen year old alone for the evening but to leave them to their own devices for a week would be unacceptable. Many young children play out in the community with other children without a parental presence; as they are unsupervised, they are 'alone' but this is an important part of growing up.
You are the best judge of your child and the level of maturity and responsibility they have.
A few other points to guide you - Never leave a baby or very young child alone at home, whether asleep or awake, even for a few minutes. It does not take long for unsupervised young children or babies to injure themselves.
- Most children under thirteen should not be left for more than a short period.
- No child under sixteen should be left overnight.
If you do leave a child alone, remember: - If possible leave a telephone number where you can be contacted, and be available to answer it immediately.
- Talk to your child about keeping safe at home, not answering the door to strangers and highlighting the potential dangers in the home.
- Give clear instructions about what to do in case of an emergency. All children left alone should be able to summon the emergency services by telephone.
- Leave a list of trusted people they can contact.
- Put obvious dangers out of reach of children, e.g. medicines, chemicals, matches etc.
- Make sure that the child is happy about the arrangements and confident about being left.
- Inform the child when you are expected back, and arrive back on time.
Choosing a babysitter
[img]Download Failed (1)[/img]You can always consider using a babysitter as an alternative to leaving a child alone. However, remember to: - Follow your instincts - if in doubt don't use them.
- Ask for at least two references and contact the referees yourself.
- Choose a babysitter over sixteen years old.
- Listen to your child. Talk to your child about any issue of baby-sitting that they are unhappy about. If they remain unhappy about your use of a particular baby-sitter, find someone else.
- Only use registered childminders. A list of your local registered childminders can be found from your local authority social services department.
If you need any further advice or information about leaving children alone, then please do not hesitate to contact the NSPCC Child Protection Helpline on 0800 800 500 at anytime.
For further information on babysitting, go to RoSPA's babysitting guidance.
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this information is available at the nspcc bupa and rospa. Please digest the highlighted guidelines then tell me if these simple common sense instructions were followed and answer this.
Q.Would a 3 year now be missing if they had.
A. No
Q Did the parents act responsably
A No
Any dispute in these answers please give proper reasons and not emotional ones