RALEIGH — For many working families, concerns about leaving children home alone occasionally surface, but some families are even more concerned after the recent deaths of two children who were alone in their home.

The two children were getting themselves ready for school when smoke from a kitchen fire suffocated them.

Such tragedies make it difficult for parents who feel they have no other choice but to leave their children. Now a hotline in Wake County might help.

If you have children who must spend time alone at home, make sure they know the number to "Phone Friend". It is 919-231-3939.

There is guidance and support at the other end of the line for children who are feeling alone or uneasy. Calls are taken between 3 and 6 p.m. weekendays.

Hotline officials say they receive about 8,000 calls each year..