Legal Question in Family Law in Illinois

Re: Parents going out of town/ Minor going out of town

Parents are responsible for the actions of their children. So if the child gets into trouble (say, gets in a fight and hurts someone) then the parent may be liable. But this responsibility diminishes as the child gets older and can be (mostly) transferred to a school group or other supervisor.

There is also the issue of neglect. If the child is hurt and the parents were not careful in supervising the child, then there could be consequences. For example, if you leave a 12 year old at home and the 12 year old breaks his leg and does not think to call 911 for help, then that would be a good candidate for charges against the parents. If you leave a normal 17 year old at home for the afternoon and he drinks something from under the sink, the parents are not likely to get in trouble for failing to supervise a boy who should have known better.

The best thing to do is work on your relationship with your child. If you trust the child and slowly build the amount of responsibility you offer, then you should be fine.