Teenagers will no longer be able to attend a Montgomery County shopping center without an adult during a specific time.
Starting Tuesday, October 1, 2024, the shopping center Willow Grove Park Malllocated along Moreland Road, instituted its new “Parental supervision policy”which will reduce hours where unsupervised children can be in the mall.
The goal of the policy is to “provide a safe and family-friendly shopping environment”, said the PREIT-owned shopping center.
Signs posted at all mall entrances ahead of the holiday shopping season say that “unaccompanied youth will be asked to leave the mall and its facilities.”
Here you will find answers to questions you may have about the new supervision policy and the exceptions made for some teens.
What does the new Willow Grove Park shopping center monitoring policy mean?
All minors under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian 21 or older, the mall said.
“Parents or guardians are responsible for the actions of escorted youth,” the mall said.
When does the supervision policy come into effect?
The new policy covers seven days a week, but the hours change slightly depending on the day. Adult supervision is required from 5:00 pm to close Monday through Saturday and from 3:00 pm to close on Sundays.
There’s also a caveat: Monitoring could be necessary “at any other time the policy is in effect,” the mall wrote.
Is there any part of the mall that is not included in the new policy?
“This policy is in effect for the entire mall, including parking lots and garages, mall hallways, and any corridors leading into the mall, except stores with exterior entrances,” the mall said.
What happens to unaccompanied children at the mall after curfew?
Mall security will be on the lookout for “unescorted youth,” the mall said. “Proof of age will be required if the age of the youth and/or parent or legal guardian is not easily determined.”
All unaccompanied children must leave the mall or “be accompanied by a parent or guardian.”
What are the exceptions to the adult supervision rule?
“Young people under the age of 18 working at the mall will be allowed access without a parent or legal guardian, proof of employment status will be required and employees must go directly to the workplace and must leave the mall at the end of their shift. work” if your shift ends while adult supervision rules are in effect, the mall reported.
