HARTFORD, CT — A report from the Office of the Child Advocate has triggered renewed calls for increased oversight of homeschooling in Connecticut.
The report urges the state to require in-person evaluations for homeschooled children to verify education compliance and check for signs of abuse or neglect.
Though no legislation has been proposed, public opposition came swiftly. More than 2,000 parents, children, and supporters gathered outside the Capitol during an informational hearing on the issue.
“When you’re coming for parents and the right we have to teach our children, just get ready,” said Kenyetta Hayes, co-founder of the Fairfield County Homeschool Coalition.
Representative Jennifer Leeper, a Democrat from Fairfield, said the hearing was meant to better understand the reasons behind school withdrawal.
“I think we want to hear from everyone today and see what makes sense going forward,” Leeper said.
The report arrives amid a high-profile case out of Waterbury.
In late March, a 32-year-old man told police his stepmother kept him captive in their home for two decades.
Police said the woman, Kimberly Sullivan, removed him from public school shortly after the Department of Children and Families received a referral. Sullivan, 56, now faces charges including first-degree assault and second-degree kidnapping. She denies the allegations.
According to the Office of the Child Advocate, 1,547 children between the ages of seven and eleven were withdrawn from public schools between 2021 and 2024 under the purpose of homeschooling. Of those, 31% were found to be chronically absent.
A random sample of 747 children from that group revealed that 31% lived in households with at least one DCF referral. Another 8% lived in homes with four or more DCF referrals.
“If you want to use the false pretense of homeschooling, you can withdraw your child and no one will check again,” said acting Child Advocate Christina Ghio.
Republican lawmakers turned their criticism toward DCF, not homeschooling families.
Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding challenged the focus of the legislature.
“Where’s the informational hearing on DCF, where’s that informational hearing,” Harding asked. “That should have been done months ago.”
DCF said its investigation is ongoing.
Parents who homeschool said they feel unfairly blamed. They pointed to a state Department of Education report showing that physical and verbal confrontations in public schools rose 44% in the 2023–2024 school year compared to five years earlier.
“That child was in public school for five years and DCF had been involved, but nobody really did anything to help that child,” said Rebekah Farrington of Naugatuck.
The Child Advocate’s report did not share new findings from the Waterbury case but confirmed that the office is conducting its own investigation.
