Idaho Parents: Turns Out The Law Doesn’t Care About Babysitters

With summer approaching, schools will be letting out and parents will be looking for alternative ways to have their kids cared for because let’s be real… childcare is expensive! I took the liberty of comparing childcare costs around Boise using the site Care.com. While there are plenty of places that offer childcare for under $100/week, several are floating around the $150/week price and others cost even more. If you’re a parent who has more than one child, that price quickly multiplies all summer long from the beginning of June through August.

So, what’s a parent to do?

Leave them home alone. Okay, we’re not saying leave toddlers and babies at home to fend for themselves but there has to be a certain age where your child can take care of themselves at home alone. Growing up, my sister and I would spend our summertime at home while our parents were at work. My older sister couldn’t have been older than maybe 12 or so when we started staying home and that would’ve made me 8-years-old. The question is… is this legal in the state of Idaho? How about our surrounding states?