Illinois proposes Homeschool Act to promote safety, education of homeschooled children

Illinois HB 2827 adopts elements of CRHE’s Make Homeschool Safe Act model legislation

The Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CRHE), the only national nonprofit founded and run by homeschooled adults advocating for homeschooled children, strongly supports Illinois HB 2827, a bill that would promote child safety and education access.

If passed, HB 2827, also known as the Homeschool Act, would:

• Ensure every school-age child in Illinois is accounted for. Requires parents to notify their local school district of their intent to homeschool their child each year.
• Ensure every child has a record of their academic progress. Requires homeschooling parents to maintain a portfolio of student work to show that the child is receiving an education at least on par with public school standards.
• Ensure every child learns from educated instructors. Requires parents to have a high school diploma or equivalent in order to homeschool
• Protect children from convicted sex offenders. Bans those convicted of sexual abuse crimes from homeschooling.
• Streamline the process for homeschooled children to take part in public school activities. Requires homeschooled children taking part in public school activities to submit immunization records the same way that public school students do, while keeping current legal exemptions to immunization in place

HB 2827 draws from the Make Homeschool Safe Act, a first-of-its-kind piece of model legislation published by CRHE in 2024. The Make Homeschool Safe Act contains a range of provisions that promote child safety, education, and resource access in the homeschool community.

“Every child has the right to be safe, to learn, and to access resources. HB 2827 would protect those rights for children who are homeschooled in Illinois,” said CRHE Executive Director Angela Grimberg. “We are grateful for this opportunity to work with Illinois lawmakers and the homeschool community to help bring HB 2827 to fruition. And we urge everyone who cares about children’s rights, both in Illinois and nationwide, to join us in supporting this bill.”