It something almost every parent will have to decide. At what age do you decide to leave your child home without supervision?

Kids at daycare centers are under constant supervision because of their young age. Workers at the University Hospital Child Development Center do everything from helping them learn to watching them play.

But when they grow up, their parents will one day decide when to leave them home alone without supervision.

Director Sally Rich has some tips.

"If they're not comfortable enough in the house by themselves, then you don't need to leave them alone. If they're having nightmares or just uneasy about it, you don't leave them alone," said Rich.

Georgia law makes it pretty clear. Between the ages of 9 and 12, you can leave a child alone for up to two hours. Age 12 and up, no more than 12 hours at a time.

In South Carolina, there are no set laws, but officials say no child under 8 should be left alone.

The experts say the key is to prepare your child early to stay home alone... even as early as five years old and even though that decision may be several years away.

But for some, there is no hard and fast rule. It all depends on the maturity level of the child.

Brenda Wallace, a mother and daycare worker says "Some people have children as young as 10 or 11 who they know are mature enough to stay home alone. They know not to answer the phone and not to go to the door."

And some parents say don't leave children alone until they know how to handle an emergency. In short, child care workers urge parents to use simple common sense.