By home schooling your children, you can control what they learn, harness their specific talents, build a meaningful relationship with them and protect them from unwanted influences, according to the Sonlight website. As of 2010, 1.6 million children were being home schooled, according to the You Can Home School website. To register your child for home school, you have to register as a home schooling parent and household in the county where you live. Regulations vary in each state, city and county.
Step 1
Visit your county's board of education to receive specific information regarding home school regulations, forms and fees for your specific case. If you contact it by telephone or via Internet, many times you can request the forms to be mailed to your home or emailed in a format that you can use to print them. According to the Home School Legal Defense Association, states that require no registration include Connecticut, New Jersey, Texas, Oklahoma, Idaho, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Alaska, as well as the territories of Guam and Puerto Rico.
Step 2
Gather all the documentation needed to file your home school registration. Common requirements that are shared by state and county include proof of income. Your chosen curriculum must comply with the minimum learning requirements held for the age of your children.
Step 3
Send in your forms and any payments required to complete the registration of your home school and your children. You will have to wait for processing. Once you receive approval, you may begin your chosen curriculum.
Tips and Warnings
- If you want to home school and need financial assistance, certain groups, such as the Home School Foundation, offer financial assistance to families with specific needs. Attend home school seminars to receive support and guidance from other home schooling parents.
- Don't begin to home school your children without contacting your county's board of education to make sure you don't need registration, even if you think your state is exempt. It may be considered an illegal act if your children are not registered to be home schooled, and they are not enrolled in a private or public school. You may face severe legal actions.
Things You'll Need
- Required documentation
- Chosen home school curriculum
