OF COURSE
New Jersey has just released a report on the Collinswood starvation case. At least in the New York Times summary, there is no mention of homeschooling playing a role.
3 Responses to “OF COURSE”
 Comment by Tim Haas February 13th, 2004 at 7:55 am |
Most of the coverage I’ve been reading has not mentioned homeschooling. This Philly Inquirer piece mentions it twice in passing (though in the most accusatory way possible), but also mentions that the school the oldest boy attended in the mid-’90s brought up potential problems that DYFS quickly deemed unsubstantitated: This Courier-Post piece mentions that DYFS policy has been changed to disallow homeschooling of foster kids, though as far as I know it never was allowed: |
 Comment by meep February 13th, 2004 at 11:52 am |
I could see why homeschooling foster kids might be disallowed — for the continuity of education. If the kid is always going to the same school, then the education shouldn’t be disrupted when said child is moved from home to home. However, if the standard is that a child would stay with a foster family for an appreciable amount of time — why not homeschool? Are teachers expected to do the job that the social workers who are required to make home visits are not doing? |
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Comment by Joan February 13th, 2004 at 3:53 pm |
I don’t know that hsing foster children was ever specifically allowed or not allowed (prior to the recent changes I mean.) It probably wasn’t even a blip on DYFS’s radar screen. I can see why they’d feel the need to disallow it though–who would pay for the books/supplies/curricula? Not DYFS, when ps is “free.” Plus, I could see legal issues–foster children may be in the legal custody of the state, but parental rights are not severed until the state moves for guardianship. |