Packing up and moving your entire household is stressful. Imagine going through the process while being investigated by the state’s Department of Child Services (DCS).
That’s what happened recently to a homeschooling family in Indiana. HSLDA was able to help them resolve the case quickly and without repercussions—thanks in part to a sympathetic investigator who had homeschooled one of her own children.
When HSLDA was contacted after the initial visit by DCS in the spring, one aspect of the investigation had already been settled. The report addressed the home’s living conditions, and the investigator could clearly see that any disarray was due to the family packing and transporting their belongings.
But the family also wanted our help addressing an accusation that their homeschool program failed to meet legal standards. As part of her inquiry, the DCS investigator had asked for copies of the family’s homeschool attendance records.
Within the law
HSLDA Senior Counsel Darren Jones recommended that the mom comply with the request. Indiana requires homeschooling parents to keep attendance records for their students, and public school superintendents may request these records at any time. Jones reasoned that making available copies of documents the law requires homeschooling parents to keep would be seen as a gesture of good faith.
Sure enough, the investigator told the mom that under the circumstances it would be fine if the records were handed in some time in the next 30 days. The family complied, and after a follow-up visit from the investigator about a month later, the investigation was closed.
Helping a family minimize the additional stress of a DCS investigation during what was already a difficult time is an integral part of our mission. When a decision to homeschool subjects someone to unreasonable suspicions, we are here to help! That’s why we often get calls from members during the initial contact from a child welfare agency.