What happens if you homeschool and need state assistance?

[Mommy22alyns]

We don't have insurance and I was going to apply for TennCare, but I got scared off by the statement that they will get school records for the girls from the DOE. We're hsing under an umbrella school. Will homeschooling cause a problem? I don't suddenly want to be under scrutiny or have people knocking at my door because we need some help.

[jennsmile]

I grew up in TN. Your umbrella school should have your grades and attendance records. I can't imagine them needing more than that. I am not sure what else the DOE would provide. :grouphug:

[linguistmama]

It never has for us and my girls have Medicaid. We aren't in TN. But we've used 2 different homeschool charters and it's never come up. Medicaid sends me a letter every time we don't get a vaccine on schedule saying that they must be vaccinated. They conveniently omit info regarding vax exemptions for our state. :glare: So my advice would be to know your state's rules. We only communicate with Medicaid via letters they send us and info that I have turned in to their office. No one comes to our house or cares that we homeschool. We get the same letter every year stating that they are eligible for free lunch at school. :)

[Mergath]

So my advice would be to know your state's rules.

 

:iagree: We were on assistance for a long time while dh was unemployed and then making only minimum wage, and there were occasions where our planning to homeschool was in issue. (Not even hsing, just PLANNING to, lol.) One woman at the workforce center we had to go through for dh to meet his job reqs told us that, if we were still on any kind of assistance and we didn't put dd in school once she was old enough for kindergarten, she'd cut off everything. Food, medical, everything. According to her, people on assistance were NOT allowed to hs. Period.

 

Turns out, she had absolutely no authority to say that, and was full of crap. I wish I would have known that at the time, because boy, would I have told her a thing or two. :glare:

 

Luckily, dh found a good job not long after that and it became a non-issue, but I was freaking out for awhile. I know we're in a different state, but no matter where you live, you absolutely need to know all the laws in your state so you can stand up for yourself when you have to. Sometimes you get a worker with a stick up their @ss, to be blunt, and they'll push you around just for fun if you don't know your rights.

[TN Mama]

I grew up in TN. Your umbrella school should have your grades and attendance records. I can't imagine them needing more than that. I am not sure what else the DOE would provide. :grouphug:

 

:iagree:

[Ipsey]

We were on foodstamps and medicaid for a while. It wasn't an issue At All.

[Pamela H in Texas]

Homeschooling isn't the issue here, but getting off welfare is. They have requirements about who must work (or look for work) and such. It is possible they would ask a non-working parent to get a job or training or whatever. That doesn't mean you can't homeschool, but it may make it a little harder.

 

BTW, I'm not sure if these rules would qualify for just medicaid or only kick in once you get TANF or Foodstamps.

[NotSoObvious]

I would think an umbrella school would be a huge benefit here. You don't ever have to say they homeschool- they go to _____ School. End of story.

[kiana]

Luckily, dh found a good job not long after that and it became a non-issue, but I was freaking out for awhile. I know we're in a different state, but no matter where you live, you absolutely need to know all the laws in your state so you can stand up for yourself when you have to. Sometimes you get a worker with a stick up their @ss, to be blunt, and they'll push you around just for fun if you don't know your rights.

 

Sidetrack -- but I'm glad to hear this because I've been wondering how it was going for you after reading your posts at the time.

[happyhomemaker25]

Our kids are all on medicaid, but that's because they came with it when we adopted them. We put Lily on recently because DH is at a guard job with no benefits. We only use Medicaid for ER. We pay out of pocket for our kids well checkups. Everyone is very healthy, thankfully! We have been on unemployment and food stamps and never had any problems.

[Ellie]

It never has for us and my girls have Medicaid. We aren't in TN. But we've used 2 different homeschool charters and it's never come up.

But charter schools are legally public schools, so theoretically homeschooling wouldn't be an issue.

[jennsmile]

I would think an umbrella school would be a huge benefit here. You don't ever have to say they homeschool- they go to _____ School. End of story.

 

Exactly, when I applied to college it was easy I attend XX School. The college thought it was a private school and wonderful. :001_smile:

[TracyR]

Don't know about TN, we live in PA. But its never been an issue for us. I've been homeschooling for 8yrs. When you apply for TANF or Foodstamps they may require a parent to do a job search. I never have because I tell them that I am my children's teacher and teach them at home. They don't say a thing then and have never questioned it. Which is good. Granted I don't get paid for doing it but its my flippin job to homeschool.