State Laws And Let Grow Updates in Maryland

Maryland Family Law §5-801 states that it is a crime to leave a child younger than 8 years old unattended, locked or confined to a home, car, building or other enclosure without proper supervision. The law also states that a child cannot be left unattended without proper supervision by a reliable person at least 13 years of age. These actions are punishable by fines or imprisonment. This is an extremely and unusually explicit punitive statute that criminalizes parental decisions to allow their children to be unsupervised, even for very brief periods.

Maryland Family Law §5-701 states that leaving a child unattended could be considered child neglect, which is defined as failing to give proper care and attention to a child. This is a very broad and vague statement of the law, though it does not explicitly state that specific acts of leaving a child alone are neglect per se. An inflammatory and punitive pamphlet put out by Maryland Child Protective Services states, “Unattended children at any age can get hurt, injured or even killed without proper supervision.” It claims, with reference to the family code, that a child cannot be left unattended without proper supervision by a reliable person at least 13 years of age.

This webpage is not a legal document, and Let Grow does not take responsibility for the content. Be mindful that some localities have rules and guidelines even when the state does not. When in doubt, consult your local authorities to confirm the laws where you live. What’s more, laws change, as do judicial interpretations of them, and this webpage may not be updated immediately.