Purpose

 The purpose of the Home Alone class is to provide children and their caregiver(s) information and tools on how to care for themselves and be safe when home alone.

 Participants

 The curriculum is geared towards children ages 7.5 to 11 years old. In the state of MN children are not to be left home alone until they are at least 8 years old.  In MN, children can begin to care for others younger than themselves at 11 years old. Some children that are 11 years old would benefit from taking the American Red Cross Babysitting Course rather than the Home Alone course.

 Caregivers usually do not attend the class with the children. However, there are materials that the children will take home to go through with their caregivers.  If possible, it’s helpful to invite the caregivers to the last five minutes of class to go through what was covered during the class.

 Learning Objectives

1.     For the children to be able to identify five safe adults whom they could tell they are home alone, allow into their home when home alone and could call for help if needed.

2.     For the children to be able to explain the MN state guidelines for staying home alone: ages for being home alone, ages for babysitting and length of time to be home alone.

3.     For the children to be able to list 5-10 rules to keep themselves safe when home alone.

4.     For the children to be able to list 5-10 activities they can do when home alone.

5.     For the children to be able to articulate potential signs of danger when home alone.

 Assessment of Learning

1.     Pre- and post-test

2.     Class discussions of various situations

 Length of Class

 The class takes 1.5 – 2 hours to go through the material. This can be broken down into two shorter sessions or one longer session, depending on the needs of the families and program.

 Number of class participants and staffing

 Ideally, the class will be capped at 20-22 students. When enrollment exceeds 12-15 children in the class, it’s beneficial to have two instructors depending on the needs of the children.

 Instructor Expectations

 It is expected that any instructor for this course will be well informed on MN guidelines for children staying home alone, rules for being home alone and all other aspects of this class as well as being familiar with all the materials and activities within the curriculum.

 All instructors should have a registered background check on file.

 Type of room recommended for class

 It’s best if the class can be held in a room with flexible space. Tables are useful so the children have something to write on; however, books or clipboards could be used instead. Try to remove items in the room that could potentially be distracting to the children. An open area will be needed for a couple of the activities during the class. Instructors will need a surface such as a white board or easel to write on, large enough for all to see.

 Copyright Notice

 Copyrighted in 2019 by Jenny Hanlon.

Sale, use and reproduction of the Home Alone Curriculum beyond the organization who purchased the curriculum is prohibited.