Virginia passed their Reasonable Childhood Independence Law in 2023.

Virginia makes the willful failure to provide a child with necessary care a felony. § 18.2-371.1 (Crimes Involving Morals and Decency). This is a vague law that could authorize some prosecutions for allowing a child to be alone.

The child welfare law defines physical neglect as including lack of supervision. Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-371.1; Va. Code Ann. § 63.2-100. The definition requires that the child has been left in the care of an inadequate caretaker or in a situation requiring judgment or actions greater than the child’s level of maturity, physical condition, and/or mental abilities would reasonably dictate. Inadequate supervision includes minimal care or supervision by the caretaker resulting in placing the child in jeopardy (in a variety of specified ways including sexual abuse or drug abuse).

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.