State Laws And Let Grow Updates in Minnesota

Minnesota’s Criminal Code (Minn. Stat. 609.378, subd. 1) provides that it is a crime punishable by up to one year in prison or payment of a fine to recklessly or deliberately deprive a child of supervision if that is likely to harm the child mental, physical or emotional health. The “likelihood of harm” provisions of this statute makes it less punitive than some statutes that turn on mere risk of harm (without a showing of “likelihood”) and the lack of any prohibition on children being alone at certain ages is also better than some state laws, though this statute clearly does authorize prosecutions as to some children who are unsupervised.

Minnesota’s child abuse reporting law provides that the failure to provide for necessary supervision or childcare arrangements occurs when a child is unable to provide for their own basic needs or safety, or the basic needs or safety of another child in their care. Minn. Stat. 626.556, subd. 2(g) (3). Minnesota policy says that neglect is broadly defined as “the most common form of maltreatment. It is usually a failure of a child’s caregiver to: Provide needed food, clothing, shelter, medical or mental health care, education or appropriate supervision” At the same time, the child welfare agency policy guidance gives more leeway than many states to leave children alone at ages 8 and up. It provides that 8-to-10-year-olds can be left alone for up to three hours (generally), 11-to-13-year-olds can be left alone for up to 12 hours, 14-to-15-year-olds for up to 24 hours, and 16-year-olds for longer than that without running afoul of neglect laws. REFERENCE

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.