Where is the children's other parent? First thing to consider is to allow that other parent to parent the children. CPS could show up on your doorstep -- all it would take would be a call and they would have to investigate. Have the children ever been left home alone during the day for an hour or so at a time? How would they handle such a situation? How did they handle a short time alone? Are there neighbors nearby that could keep an eye on the situation? These are a few considerations.