Unattended Minors

POLICY: The Council Bluffs Public Library aims to enrich, inform, and empower our community. The library aims to maintain a safe and pleasant environment for all patrons, ensuring that, when necessary, minors are supervised by age appropriate, responsible parties.

• An unattended minor is a minor of any age whose behavior requires them to be accompanied by a parent or caregiver as determined by policy 3.1 Behavior Code.
• The Library is not responsible for the care of unattended minors and does not assume the responsibility from the parents or caregivers for providing for the welfare of their minor children. The Library does not have the staff, the staff training, or the State certification to act as a child-care facility.
• Parents or caregivers must remain with their minors if they are not mature enough to be left alone. They are responsible for the care of their minors inside of the building and on the premises.
• A reasonable attempt will be made to contact the parent or guardian of minors too immature to be left alone while on library property. If they cannot reached, police will be called to provide assistance.
• Parents or caregivers with minors mature enough to be left alone at the Library are expected to set reasonable time limits.
• The Library staff is not responsible for minors interacting with or leaving the Library with persons who are not appropriate caregivers.
• Library staff is not responsible for minors without a ride home at closing. Minors without a ride home at closing may be considered abandoned and the police will be called.

Adopted: October 15, 2001

Amended & Reapproved: June 18, 2003; June 20, 2007; October 20, 2010; May 21, 2014; May 24, 2017; February 19, 2020; June 21, 2023