EXCERPT FROM: My Fox Atlanta
By STAFF
COBB COUNTY, Ga. - One problem working parents face daily -- what to do with your children while you're gone.
In many homes both parents now work and quality daycare isn't cheap. That has more and more folks turning their children into latch key keys.
How do you know if your child is ready to become a latch key kid? It all comes down to maturity level and preparation.
Ethan and dad Jason head out for the bus. The Cobb County family knows the time is coming when they will leave their almost 10 year old home alone.
Unlike Ethan's, some families can't leave one parent at home or afford quality daycare. And the struggling economy has only made that problem worse, leading to an increase in the number of latch key kids.
"Eight and under should never be left alone," said Joane Henry of the Georgia Department of Children and Family Services.
According to DFACS, the youngest a child can be left alone is 9 years old and then for no more than two hours. Failing to follow these rules could get you in trouble.