Can 14 year olds take care of themselves?

Around age 14, young people can consent to simple health treatments without involving their parents or guardians. Generally, children must live with their parents or guardians until they can function independently in society. Therefore, they should also always be under the supervision of their parents or guardians, especially at home. However, when is the perfect time to leave a child home alone? State leaders across the country have been debating this issue for years, and many still don't have a solid foundation on which to base this decision.

For now, these are the laws that govern leaving children alone at home across the country. Any minor can consent to receiving medical or dental care at the time they request it if they live separately from their parents or legal guardian and manage their own financial affairs. A) Consent is necessary for non-emergency and ambulatory primary care services, including physical exams, eye exams and eyeglasses, dental exams, hearing tests and hearing aids, vaccines, treatments for diseases and conditions, and routine follow-up care typically provided by a health care provider in an outpatient setting, excluding elective surgeries; The consent of the parent, parent, or legal guardian of such child will not be necessary for authorize hospital, medical, or surgical care related to such illness and such parents, parents, or legal guardian shall not be responsible for paying for the care provided in accordance with this section. Consent to the provision of medical or surgical care or services by a hospital or public clinic, or to the provision of medical or surgical care or services by a doctor licensed to practice medicine in this state, when executed by a minor who suffers from or believes to be suffering from an illness or illness, will be valid and binding as if the minor had reached the age of majority.

Any minor may consent to receive medical or dental care at the time such care is requested if he reasonably believes that he or she has been in contact with a disease defined as dangerous to public health in accordance with article six of chapter one hundred and eleven; however, that minor may only consent to care related to the diagnosis or treatment of that disease.