Unattended Child Policy

MT. LEBANON PUBLIC LIBRARY

 

POLICY NUMBER: 23

TITLE: Unattended Children

DATE ISSUED: March 25, 2010

REPLACES: Previous Policy No. 23, July 18, 2002 and October 12, 1995

 

PURPOSE: To address the safety and well-being of children in the library.

 

STATEMENT OF POLICY:

1. The Library is not responsible for the safety or well being of any patron beyond the
extent reasonably expected of a public facility.

2. The Library staff is not responsible for any unattended minor child.

3. The Library staff is not responsible for preventing a minor child from leaving the Library.

4. Parents or legal guardians are responsible for the conduct of their minor children (under
18 years of age) in the Library or on Library grounds, regardless of whether they are
accompanying their children or not.

5. Children attending Library programs are, for the duration of the program only, considered
to be supervised by Library staff and thus are not unattended.

6. The accompanying adult is responsible for children under the age of 8 while in the
Library or on Library property and may not leave a child under the age of 8 unattended in
the Library.
7. An accompanying adult may not leave children under the age of 8 in the temporary care of
another child who is 10 years of age or younger.

8. The Library staff will deal with a child left at closing who is too young to go home alone
safely by calling the police if the parent or legal guardian cannot be located, and by having
two staff members remain with that child until the police arrive. This includes children
below the age of eleven or who are older but appear to need staff help.

9. When a staff member observes suspected abuse or neglect on the part of a parent or
responsible caregiver, the staff is mandated by Pa. Code #42.42, issued under the Child
Protective Services Law, to report such suspected abuse to the Department of Public
Welfare.