Unattended Children

General

For the purpose of this policy, an unattended child shall be a child who has been left alone without parental or other supervision. A child will not be considered unattended if she is attending a library program applicable to her age group at which the presence of her parent or legal guardian is not required.

Parental Responsibilities

Any unattended child must be picked up or leave the library at the conclusion of a library program and / or upon library closing.

A parent or child’s caregiver may not leave a child 7 years of age or younger in any area of the library.  A parent or caregiver accompanying a child is responsible for the child’s behavior while in the library.

Staff Responsibilities

A staff member will not allow a parent or child’s caregiver to leave any child 7 years of age or younger unattended in the library.

A staff member will not agree to a parent or caregiver’s request to “keep an eye on” any child, nor will staff allow a parent or caregiver to order a child to remain in the library unattended.

A staff member will make the branch director or her designee aware of any child habitually left unattended in the library, and, if she deems it necessary, she/he will contact the child’s parent in person or by telephone to explain the library’s policy.

A staff member will notify the branch director who will, in turn, call the police and / or sheriff’s office if she/he believes the safety or wellbeing of any child in the library is in danger.

The staff of the Coffey County Library is not responsible for keeping an unattended child at the library against that child’s will.

The staff will not transport or accompany a child home from the library.