Summary:

Parents, in accordance with the provisions of the Family and Guardianship Code, are responsible for the care of their child up to the age of majority. However, parents do not always fulfil their duties related to childcare tasks properly, e.g. they lead to negligence, leave the child without proper care. As a consequence, they may be held criminally liable for the child’s jeopardize or abandonment. Parents are responsible for their child up to the age of 18. However, there are situations when the parent leaves the child alone at home, e.g. for a moment when he or she throws away rubbish, goes to the basement or a local shop. It happens sometimes that a child stays alone when one of the parents went to work and the other did not manage to return yet. However, a parent should use reason and take into account the mental development and maturity of his or her child. First of all, parents should talk to their children and explain them situations that may pose a threat, as well as they should behave in a crisis situation, e.g. a fire, such as the emergency telephone number.

Key words: child, parents, parental authority, parental responsibility, abandonment