Poor economy means more kids left home alone

With many parents having to take a reduced salary due to the poor economy, childcare experts say they're noticing more children are being left home alone.

Parents simply can't afford to pay for daycare on a reduced salary.

The Director of Parent Services at 4C for Children, Karen Middendorf, says they have received several calls from parents asking questions about how to decide if their child is ready to be left at home on their own for a few hours.

"We're getting a lot more calls for more part-time care. We're getting more calls for what we call "The Family, Friend and Neighbor" type care where parents are trying to piece together care that might be a few hours in the morning, a few hours at night, or even a few hours overnight because parents work situations have changed so drastically."

The childcare referral agency hands out pamphlets to parents and caregivers called "Is My Child Ready? Self-Care Assessment & School-Age Resources". The agency started the initiative nearly two years ago.

Middendorf says parents shouldn't make the decision base on age, but on the maturity of the child.

"Some of the things that parents can do is setting up guidelines for the children. 'Are they allowed outside to play? Who is allowed inside the home with them if they have a good friend that lives across the street, are they permitted in. Looking at what kinds of things they're allowed to cook. Are they allowed to turn the stove on, use the microwave or do you prefer that they eat snack foods while you are gone,'" Middendorf said from 4C for Children headquarters on Dana Avenue.

Community centers like the Carl Lindner Y say they see a lot of latchkey kids throughout the day.

There are many single parents who live in the community who sign-up for various programs including after school care.

"In this community, we have a lot of single parent households, so therefore you have a lot of kids that are at homes by themselves. What we try to do at the YMCA is make sure all of our programs are available for any kid in the community. While we do have organized programs, which kids sign-up for and come to, we also have programs where kids can just drop in and attend," said Y Program Director, Steven Sanders.

Sanders says they want to encourage parents to explore programs at the Y. He says there are scholarships available to parents who can't afford to pay.

The Cincinnati Police Department, through its Citizen Alert, made several suggestions to keep children safe. Among those, parents should make sure their children understand why they must be left alone and what they may and may not do.

Following their parents' steps will likely reduce their risk of injury or becoming a victim of a crime.