Special Situations
Withdrawing your Child from Public or Private School Mid-Year
By Debbie Schwarzer, Esq., Linda J. Conrad, Esq., and Elizabeth Bryant, Esq.
You can withdraw your child from school mid-year and start homeschooling. Many schools are supportive of homeschooling and can provide you with help and resources. However, withdrawing a child mid-year may be a little more complicated than starting homeschooling at the beginning of the school year, because the school has a record of your child and may be unwilling to lose a student. Read more...
Homeschooling after a Divorce
By Debbie Schwarzer, Esq., Linda J. Conrad, Esq., and Elizabeth Bryant, Esq.
Although it is legal to homeschool after a divorce or in a situation where the other parent does not agree with homeschooling, the ultimate decision as to whether you can homeschool your children may be up to the Family Law Court. Read more...
Contact by Truancy Officers
The compulsory attendance laws are enforced by attendance officers, usually at the district level (and never by the California Department of Education). While most attendance officers work on very serious truancy cases and leave homeschooling families alone, there may be one or two who dislike homeschooling and who may try to investigate families for truancy. Read more...
Contact by Children's Protective Services
Although an investigation by Children Protective Services is extremely unlikely, anyone can be the target. All CPS cases start as a result of a referral to a governmental agency. Educational neglect alone cannot be a basis for an investigation and police officers and CPS workers cannot enter your home without a warrant. Read more...
Welfare Benefits
Families should be able to receive welfare benefits and still homeschool their children using any of the legal options, including operating a home-based private school. Read more...
Communities with Curfews
Some communities have passed daytime curfew laws, probably to combat truancy or gang activity. These laws allow children to be cited if they are in any public place other than a school during the hours that schools normally are in session. Read more...
Enrolling In Public High After Homeschooling
Recently a few parents have asked whether public schools can refuse to accept credits from non-accredited schools, including private homeschools. Unfortunately, the answer is yes. In fact, they don't have to accept credits from ACCREDITED private schools. Read more...