Social Worker Union Cites Homeschooling as Contributing to Child Abuse at Congressional Hearing

Home School Legal Defense Association ^ | HSLDA

[hsmomx3]

On Thursday, November 6, 2003, the Human Resources Subcommittee of the United States House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee, held a hearing to examine "a recent failure to protect child safety". The hearing was to investigate an alleged child abuse case in New Jersey involving the starvation of a family's adopted children and the subsequent dismissal of social workers who had been investigating the family but missed the alleged abuse. Accountability was the Committee's focus since in 2002, federal taxpayers provided the states $3.1 billion to support children in adoptive and foster settings, and an additional $2.8 billion in administrative funding to help vulnerable children.

Prior to this hearing, HSLDA contacted the Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Wally Herger of California, to inform him that the family at issue was reported to be a homeschooling family, that certain legislators in New Jersey had cited this case as highlighting a need to pursue new regulations on homeschooling (see http://www.hslda.org/elert/archive/2003/10/20031029171258.asp), and why this call for new regulations was in error. Our efforts were not in vain.

Carla Katz, the president of the Communications Workers of America, a union representing social workers in New Jersey testified at the hearing. In her remarks, President Katz stated the following: "Home schooling creates gaps. Nearly 20% of all abuse cases are reported by schools. When children are outside the school system, extra protections are critical. There are no home schooling regulations that would require homeschooled children to see anyone from the public education system. There is no cross-referencing with the Department of Education to look for children who are in the 'system' but have not been seen by anyone."

Fortunately, the hearing did not turn in the direction of whether homeschooling is in need of further regulation. Chairman Herger kept the Committee on its principal task of investigating the use of taxpayer funds and did not develop the homeschooling issue.

At the core of the union's position is that homeschoolers should have greater involvement with the public school system in order to catch child abuse. But this is not the function of the public schools. It has long been held that the government's legitimate constitutional interest in education is literacy and self-sufficiency, not to detect child abuse. Wisconsin v. Yoder 406 U.S. 205 (1972). Moreover, it has been long understood that the government may not require all students to be required to be a part of the public school system, as children are not "mere creatures of the state". Pierce v. Society of Sisters 268 U.S. 510 (1925). Even though some parents might abuse children, it is still a presumption in America that parents act in the best interests of children. Parham v. J.R., 442 U.S. 584 (1979).

As the recent CBS series on homeschooling demonstrated (http://www.hslda.org/docs/news/hslda/200310/200310230.asp), there is a growing trend to link homeschooling with child abuse. This trend poses a significant threat to homeschool freedom. Should it be accepted, it will pave the way for significant homeschool regulations. HSLDA will be working with Congress to make sure that the truth is presented in the final record of this hearing. Thank you for standing with us for homeschool freedom.

[apackof2]

Should it be accepted, it will pave the way for significant homeschool regulations.

This will defintely happen unless homeschoolers unite, organize and fight

[Killborn]

How low can they go?

Actually I don't wanna know.

I think that if I have childen, I will enroll them in a nice conservative private school. But now I think I just might homeschool them just to annoy the libs.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Social workers contribute to child abuse.

[anniegetyourgun]

"At the core of the union's position is that homeschoolers should have greater involvement with the public school system in order to catch child abuse."

Homeschoolers don't want greater involvement in the public school system in order to avoid child abuse.

[Orangedog]

This will defintely happen unless homeschoolers unite, organize and fight

You'd better consider putting together some kind of organization to lobby on behalf of your interests on the state and federal level. If you guys think you're not going to end up tarred and feathered like divorced fathers have been, you need to wake up, get organized and put some money into some legislators.

[ladylib]

In the NJ case, social workers were at the home 38 times in two years. Why didn't they ask about the children's home schooling? I also read that one of the boys stole students' lunches and vomited constantly. I wonder if the school authorities suggested to the parents that they should "homeschool"? I would love to know that.

It would not have mattered if those kids were in public school or not. The results, as far as checking up on them, would have been the same.

[ChewedGum]

There is a lobby/organization: HSLDA (home school legal defense association) It is pretty solid.

Gum

[TheSpottedOwl]

There are no home schooling regulations that would require homeschooled children to see anyone from the public education system. There is no cross-referencing with the Department of Education to look for children who are in the 'system' but have not been seen by anyone."

Isn't the whole point of homeschooling, to keep your kids out of the government's clutches?

I'm getting pretty fed up with the school system in my town. Maybe I should look into homeschooling. Better than dealing with Nazis...

[Blood of Tyrants]

One of the world's biggest lies: We're from the government and we only want to help you.

[Dante3]

What nonsense!

Incidentally, yesterday and today The Washington Times reported about a student in Montgomery County, Maryland. She received a grade card, with two As, one in a tough honors-level geometry course. The problems is that she never went to class, was never even enrolled at Sherwood High. Only her physics teacher noted that she hadn't been to class and gave her a NC.

[LiteKeeper]

INTREP - LIBERAL WHINING ALERT!

[kellynla]

"homeschooling contributes to child abuse?" funny the nuns beating the hell-out-of-us were never called "child abusers" just "disciplinarians" LOL and if we complained to our parents they would just send us back to school to tell the nuns to beat us some more LOL...yea, homeschooling contributes to child abuse like living contributes to dying...the longer you live, the sooner you will die...

[ladylib]

The head of HSLDA met with President Bush recently:

http://hslda.org/docs/news/hslda/200311/200311100.asp

Homeschool Legal Defense is not only interested in homeschooling rights but in any type of legislation that would impact negatively on the family or usurp parental authority.

[EdReform]

BTTT

read later...

[Born in a Rage]

They need to be 'freeped'
Spread the word to your homeschooling groups!

Here's the main addy and #'s:

Communications Workers of America
501 3rd St., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001-2797
202/434-1100, fax: 202/434-1279

Here's for the District in NJ:

District 1
(CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT)
80 Pine St., 37th Floor
New York, NY 10005
212/344-2515, fax: 212/425-2947
Larry Mancino, Vice President

Here is the url with e-mail contacts:
http://www.cwa-union.org/about/contact.asp

[hsmomx3]

I wish someone would walk into one of these meetings armed with the articles about kids in public schools. They would certainly outweigh any reports of "abuse" by homeschooling parents.

[scripter]

Thanks for the ping and another ping (gotta ping the wife to this one).

[Lizavetta]

The hearing was to investigate an alleged child abuse case in New Jersey involving the starvation of a family's adopted children and the subsequent dismissal of social workers who had been investigating the family but missed the alleged abuse

That's right.....the GOVERNMENT had been investigating this family and somehow didn't clue in on the abuse, and the solution is to go after homeschooling.

[ladylib]

NY Times editorial on making homeschooling safe for children:

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/15/opinion/15SAT4.html?n=Top%2fOpinion%2fEditorials%20and%20Op%2dEd%2fEditorials

Editorial mentions that concerned teachers would certainly called DYFS. Conveniently fails to mention that social workers were in the Jackson home 38 times in two years.