Homeschooling advocates push back against remarks on child abuse

Homeschool advocacy groups and Louisiana officials met with the state’s Department of Children and Family Services recently after comments by the agency’s secretary sparked concern among homeschooling families, renewing attention on both parental rights and the state’s existing homeschool regulations.
Representatives of several homeschooling groups attended. State Reps. Beryl Amedee, Josh Carlson and Kim Carver also attended.
HSLDA requested the meeting after Harris testified before the Louisiana Senate Health and Welfare Committee in March that “nationally and ... in Louisiana, children in homeschools are children that are often abused.”
Census-based estimates suggest that roughly 6.7% of Louisiana K-12 students were homeschooled during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years.
Homeschool advocates emphasized that they remain opposed to legislation they believe could restrict parents’ ability to educate their children at home.
Jessie Leger, director of legislative affairs for Homeschool Louisiana, said the group hopes existing laws will be sufficient to address any concerns raised by the department.
“We are hopeful that the solutions we offered that exist in current law will be sufficient and the department will not seek legislation,” Leger said. “However, we remain diligent and will continue to rigorously defend parental rights and homeschool freedom in Louisiana.”
Missy Pique, director of the Louisiana Homeschool Network, said the meeting helped participants better understand the issues DCFS is attempting to address but maintained opposition to restrictions on homeschooling.
“LHN remains strongly opposed to any legislation denying a parent’s right to withdraw their child from school at any time,” Pique said. “Protecting children and protecting parental rights are not competing goals; good policy must accomplish both.”
Alana Waguespack, administrator of Louisiana Homeschool Support, said the discussion reinforced her organization’s belief that the focus should remain on agency operations rather than new restrictions on homeschooling families.
“While child welfare is the shared priority of Louisiana Homeschool Support and DCFS, this discussion reinforced that the focus should be on fixing DCFS’s operational issues rather than introducing legislation limiting the rights of parents who choose to homeschool,” Waguespack said.
The debate has also drawn attention to Louisiana’s homeschooling framework, which is often referred to in state law as “home study.”
Louisiana offers two main homeschool pathways. The first is the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education-Approved Home Study Program, which requires state approval within 15 days of starting, annual renewal by October 1, and submission of proof of academic progress. In return, it provides full legal exemption from public school attendance laws, state-recognized graduation credentials, and the option for parents to issue diplomas, with possible access to public school extracurricular activities.
The second is the Nonpublic School Not Seeking State Approval option, where parents operate a private home-based school with greater flexibility. It requires annual registration with the Louisiana Department of Education, at least 180 days of instruction, and a curriculum equivalent in quality to public schools, but it does not require standardized testing or reporting to the state, and parents are responsible for diplomas and transcripts.
Students in home study programs must receive at least 180 instructional days per year, although state law does not prescribe specific subjects or instructional hours.
Homeschool families in Louisiana also face limitations that are uncommon in many other states. According to Johns Hopkins, Louisiana is one of only 13 states that does not generally allow homeschool students universal access to public school courses, clubs, sports and extracurricular activities. Some participation may be permitted with approval from a local school principal.
Students transitioning from homeschooling back into public schools may also face additional requirements. Local school boards retain discretion over student placement, and students entering public schools, particularly at the high school level, may be required to undergo extensive testing to determine grade placement and credit eligibility.
HSLDA said it plans to continue working with DCFS and allies in the Louisiana Legislature while monitoring any proposals that could affect homeschool families.