Greensboro, NC -- Two Winston-Salem children are in the hospital after being injured in a house fire. The eight and three year olds were in the home alone.
Police haven't told us why they were home alone or whether or not their mother will face charges. But the situation led us to ask how old is old enough to leave a child home alone, and what should parents know before they leave their kids.
Sgt. James Hamlett with the Guilford County Sheriff's Office said there is no official age. "On the national level, the national Safe Kids campaign says that any child under 12 is not left to be home alone. However it does state based on the child's maturity level that could be varied. Here locally, in North Carolina, general statute there is a statute of the fire code, 14-318 that states that no child under the age of 8 should be left home alone because of the danger of fire."
Hamlett said parents should make sure their kids are mature enough to understand the dangers of the house before they're left home alone. He suggested quizzing them about what to do based on circumstances to make sure they're ready.
News 2 also spoke with Nannette Funderburk, Licensed Counselor with the S.E.L Group about what qualities parents should look for in their kids before they leave them home alone. "An older child can and still not have some of the capabilities to handle themselves in an emergency. [...] You want to make sure they know what to do in situations, emergency situations. Is there a phone number they can call, are they friendly with the neighbor, are they hesitant about contacting about other people. Are there situations where they've been left home alone and they tend to get into things when you're not around?"
To hear more tips and advice from Sgt. Hamlett and Nannette Funderburk, click play to watch their full interviews in the video window.
WFMY News 2