• Font Size    

Here's What's Hot On CBS11TV.COM:

Hollywood Hair
E-mail

Close Window E-mail This Page

Experts Worry Kids Will Be Left Alone This Summer

Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

Send E-mail

   Print     Share +   
Jun 6, 2008 9:33 pm US/Central

Experts Worry Kids Will Be Left Alone This Summer

Reporting
J.D. Miles
DALLAS (AP) ― Robert Dalton has had to take extreme measures to provide child care for his two daughters. He is taking a leave of absence from his job to spend days with 7-year-old Allison and 10-month-old Anniston while his wife works.

"Unfortunately, you have to cut corners and hope that it all works out in the end," said Emily Dalton, Robert's wife.

The Daltons are not the only family struggling to pay for babysitters when other bills are piling up.

Child care experts say that the struggling economy may force parents to put the safety of their kids at risk by leaving them at home alone during the summer.

Child Care Group said that 70 percent of parents who drop out of its subsidized care program do so during the summer months. There are no statistic to show how many children are left unattended.

State law prevents parents from leaving children at home if they are too young to care for themselves. But the law is vague on what age is considered too young.

Experts believe that the law will be tested because a growing number of parents will not be able to afford day care over the summer.

Before leaving children at home alone, experts suggest finding recreation centers, churches or non-profit organizations that provide free supervision.

(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Popular Slideshows On CBS11TV.COM

You need the latest Flash player to view video content.
Click here to download.

Click here to bypass this detection if you already have the latest Flash Player.

Dallas / Fort Worth Local News

Top News Stories

© MMIX, CBS Stations Group of Texas L.P. All Rights Reserved.