Age to be be picked up alone from the school bus stop?

[Anonymous]

I always think of Etan Patz who was 6. I know people like to encourage independence but it will depend on the child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always think of Etan Patz who was 6. I know people like to encourage independence but it will depend on the child.

Etan Patz disappeared in 1979. Most parents of kindergartners hadn't even been born.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe Maryland law is that you’re never allowed to have any child under 8 unsupervised anywhere ever. I don’t agree with it but that’s what it says and it’s sometimes enforced.

No, that's not the law. The law says:
"A person who is charged with the care of a child under the age of 8 years may not allow the child to be locked or confined in a dwelling, building, enclosure, or motor vehicle while the person charged is absent and the dwelling, building, enclosure, or motor vehicle is out of the sight of the person charged unless the person charged provides a reliable person at least 13 years old to remain with the child to protect the child."

So, that wouldn't apply in this scenario. But I understand the local police and CPS will occasionally threatened parents over it. I'm not going to say "mistakenly" because I think they're well aware of what the law does and doesn't say.

Yes, the state specifically "clarified" in 2015 that this law doesn't apply to children walking or playing outside, including children walking to/from school.

[Anonymous]

Our school says you have to be in 2nd grade before they will let a child get off without an adult.

OP, ask your school if there is a policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school says you have to be in 2nd grade before they will let a child get off without an adult.

OP, ask your school if there is a policy.

So the bus driver gets a list of which children must be met at each stop? Does he verify the adult at each stop? Is there a log kept?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always think of Etan Patz who was 6. I know people like to encourage independence but it will depend on the child.

Etan Patz disappeared in 1979. Most parents of kindergartners hadn't even been born.

He was 6 and he died. When that happened makes zero difference, actually.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always think of Etan Patz who was 6. I know people like to encourage independence but it will depend on the child.

Etan Patz disappeared in 1979. Most parents of kindergartners hadn't even been born.

He was 6 and he died. When that happened makes zero difference, actually.

Charles Lindbergh's baby was 1 and he died. When that happened makes zero difference, actually.

[Anonymous]

12 if a good parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A neighbor once forgot it was early dismissal and the bus driver let her daughter off alone. It was a group bus stop so maybe he didn't realize nonone was there to walk her home.

After we moved there was a different bus driver who wouldn't let a k student off even though her older sister was there to walk her home.

my son is 17 and can’t pick up his little 8 ur old brother that’s bs. This in in el paso Texas at idea public schools. I need help because i work and they won’t allow my oldest son who is a most 18 to pick up my 8 yr old . Wow. Really…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought they couldn't leave a kindergartener alone. They are supposed to take them back to the school if there isn't a parent to meet them. But we never had an issue. My child was able to go alone the last quarter of kindergarten.

+1 My child went alone during K. I think it might have even been 2nd Q, about the same distance as OP's kid, 2 blocks although they had to cross the street.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not let my elem age kid wait alone at a bus stop. I would if there was a group of them. Kid standing in the same place at the same time every day would make me nervous they could easily get snatched. I would let them walk home by themselves 1st grade and up.

Snatched? You know that doesn't really happen right?