State Laws And Let Grow Updates in Rhode Island

Rhode Island General Laws § 11-9-5 makes it a crime to fail to give children “proper care or oversight.” R.I. Gen. L. § 31-22-22.1 is the motor vehicle law that provides law enforcement officers are authorized to provide a verbal warning to any person who shall be deemed to have left a child under the age of seven unattended in a motor vehicle, informing the offending person of the dangers of this practice including, but not limited to, the risk of kidnapping and/or abduction, and the dangers which may result from excessive temperatures within the motor vehicle. While this warning may exaggerate these dangers, the statute implies that parents are not criminally charged for leaving their children in cars but merely warned. However, there was a bill introduced in 2020 to repeal the warning section.

Neglect is defined as failing to “provide the child with a minimum degree of care or proper supervision” as a result of social problems, mental incompetency, or the use of a drug, drugs, or alcohol” causing the parent or other person responsible for the child to “lose his or her ability or is unwilling to properly care for the child.” 40 R.I. Gen. Laws Ann. § 40-11-2. While this statute does not specifically reach children left alone, the state’s child welfare policies are broad and widely used.

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.