HSLDA News	May 7, 2001

Truant Children? Call the Social Worker!

CALIFORNIA—Two Home School Legal Defense Association member families in California who recently removed their children from public school faced social services investigations for exercising their constitutional right to home school.

Both families fully complied with the law requiring them to either register as a private school or join an already existing private school.

The public schools contacted child protective services, alleging that the parents were not capable of providing home education for the children. Social workers, one accompanied by a police officer, then showed up at our members' doors, demanding entrance into their homes.

HSLDA provided the social workers with proof of the families' compliance with the private school law and an explanation of the law in California. After negotiation, the social workers seemed to understand that home schooling via the private school exemption was a legal option in the state. The families have had no further contacts from the social workers.