[Tuppy]

Can anyone tell me if we would be allowed to home school a child for whom we are a preadoptive placement?

We home school our three children and would want to include any child placed with us. We are straight adoption and not foster/adopt. (At least that is plan as it now stands!)

I am wondering if we were preadopt for six months (or however long it would be) if the child would have to attend our local school.

Thanks for any input!

[Boulderbabe]

I'm pretty sure that in our county, foster children may not be home schooled. The county uses the school system as another set of eyes to watch the kids and make sure they're safe and their needs are being met.

[fpsupporter]

here, I know someone who got it approved by the case worker. Sounds like a good question to ask your agency worker, as it may be different from state to state, county to county, and even agency to agency.

[marcav]

I remember in my PATH training that question was asked, and the trainer was very enthusiastic about homeschooling. I'm in NJ.

Mary

[afolc]

We're a straight adopt family in Michigan. I homeschool my 2 bios and we are adopting 2 brothers that the agency knows I will also homeschool once they come live with us. I've never been told I couldn't.

[Tuppy]

afolc, how old are the two that you are adopting? Any idea how they are taking to the idea of home schooling? Our potential placement is 9, and her brief info says she enjoys school, so there may be a bit of an adjustment on her end.

I really believe that HS really helps the bonding process, though it is not for everyone. We saw it work wonders for our oldest AS. When he went to school he "re-learned" all of the stuff we had worked so hard to eliminate....(lying, sneaking,artificial affection, manipulation, triangulation)....and he has some learning differences that we can address one-on-one. So it is a win-win.

I hope we won't run into difficulties when the time comes.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to post!

[la vida loca]

I did it at the end of last school year when my FD had some escalating behavior problems in school. (I'm in California.) Essentially she was transferred to a charter school within the school district which provided the curriculum, and there there were no problems getting approval.

[rabbitmom]

We have homeschooled our foster daughter this past year (in MI). It is highly frowned upon and usually isn't allowed. We got a waiver from DHS because we felt it would cause her emotional distress if she were the only child (of 9) in the family sent "away" to school. She was already distressed about her sibling's adoption being finalized and not hers, long story. We were told if she was pre-adopt we could homeschool without the waiver. She should be pre-adopt anytime now. Homeschooling is the best in my opinion for attaching/bonding and for nipping away at those annoying behavior problems right away. I do have to make an effort to have Mommy time though, I'm always with the kids!

[Tuppy]

Thank you for the validation, I agree, HS does help with attaching/bonding. I hear ya on the Mommy time....what's that???? LOL Actually, we work hard to make sure we get some down time, if not daily, then weekly. I wouldn't have it any other way.