This Child Welfare Monitor article recounted last month’s Harvard Law School conference on homeschooling.
It highlighted that in 12 states parents aren’t even required to inform authorities that their children won’t be attending school. Fifteen states only require that they be notified. Some mandate that certain subjects be taught but few enforce these minimal regulations.
Doing research on how many of the 1.7 million children currently being homeschooled have been maltreated is nearly impossible since they typically aren’t registered anywhere. However the Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CRHE), founded by homeschooling alumni, has been compiling a database to plug this gap.
Powerful, uncompromising lobbying groups have stymied efforts to regulate homeschooling. Realistically, the only way to protect homeschooled children who are being abused is through equally powerful citizens’ groups advocating for common-sense regulations in legislative districts throughout Minnesota and nationally.
Listen to this blog as well as hear in-depth commentary in this week’s podcast.