Unaccompanied Children

All children are welcome in our libraries but they are not the responsibility of staff.

This page details the Tasman District Libraries policy for unaccompanied children.

• Children under the age 11 should always be accompanied by an adult caregiver and not be left alone in the library.
• Children aged between 11 and 14 should not be left alone in the library for an extended period of time and should have a contact phone number for their adult caregiver should emergencies arise.
• Adult caregivers are responsible for the active supervision of their children while visiting the library. This means that children are being supervised and the carer is able to provide immediate assistance or intervention.
• Each situation will be taken case by case, but in instances where children under the age of 11 are found alone in the library, we may contact the caregiver, talk to the caregiver about this policy when they come to collect the child, or escalate this to Oranga Tamariki or the Police.
• In the case of an emergency, if an adult caregiver cannot be found or contacted, we may call Oranga Tamariki or the Police.

We appreciate your co-operation in helping us provide a safe and inviting environment for all library customers, including children.

Related Links

• Expected Standard of Behaviour
• Customer Service Policy