Okay, so you wouldn't hire anyone who produces less than minimum wage. What if a teen wants to learn about your profession and is willing to work, but wouldn't really contribute or produce that much?

If there was no exception to hiring people who are financial dependents you wouldn't be able to hire on such a person for a small rate. You'd either have to overpay, discouraging you from hiring them, or not hire them because you couldn't justify the expense.

Perhaps such labor is uncommon in your profession, but there are many professions where it is common. The kid at the mechanic's who answers phones and gets things for people may not actually be all that valuable compared to a wage high enough for two people to live off of. The job may be really valuable to the kid though giving experience and a bit of money.

I do that too. For college students some start earning credits before moving to a paid intern position.

In my business, interns are super valuable. We pay $20-25/hr depending on skill.

Odd - in your previous comment you say you pay people based on what they produce. Here you seem to be saying you pay people more than what they produce - I'm reading "I do that too" as a response to my point about hiring people who produce less than a large minimum wage in value.