Can I organize my own Home Alone or Babysitting Workshop at my child’s school?

Yes certainly! We offer many workshops including the Home Alone and Babysitting Workshops, Safety & Street proofing as well as First Aid workshops for children in many schools after school hours. Call our office at 613.443.2027 to set something up.

What legal age can my son or daughter stay home alone?

There is no law in Ontario that dictates a specific age at which a child can be left unsupervised. The law is purposefully vague when it comes to choosing a specific age because there are many factors to take under consideration such as:

Legally, parents must know where their children are at all times and have adequate supervision until the age 16. The O.P.P. suggests enrolling your child in a home alone program. By enrolling in a home alone program, your child will learn how to prepare a safety plan and how to deal with emergencies. They will also learn how to deal with callers, people at the door, and what to do if they feel scared or bored and even street proofing.

What is the legal age to babysit?

Although the law doesn’t designate when a young person is old enough to babysit, parents can do their part in safe guarding their children by hiring a sitter who has experience, references and who has taken a babysitting course. During the babysitting course participants will learn that taking care of young children is a big responsibility and you must be prepared. The average child is in grade 6 when they start to babysit. We offer the babysitting course starting in grade 5 so the participants can practice being a mother’s helper for a year and then when they feel more comfortable and confident, they can gradually babysit on their own by the time they are in grade 6. Some babysitters are not ready until they are in grade 7 or 8. This depends on the student’s maturity and whether or not he or she has experience with being around younger children.