Has anyone homeschooled someone else's child?

[Soph the vet]

Sad situation. My dd9 has a relatively new friend, also 9, female, who is living with a single dad. This girl has very severe kidney disease which causes much missed school (ps). The kids in her school also bully her because of the weight she has put on due to meds. I have helped her catch up on homework a couple of times. Now, the dad wants to pull her from school and have me homeschool her! My idea was to help her get through the rest of this year by tutoring her 3 times per week. Another thought was to see if he would go for a "virtual academy", online school as we have a few of those here.
This poor girl is also caught in the middle of a custody battle. So much for one so young. I would like to help her as much as I can. I think it is also a good real-life experience for my own dc to have an opportunity to reach out to someone else.
What would you do?:confused:

[kaylk in tx]

but here, a child with a severe medical condition, can qualify for home bound instruction. a certified teacher comes by (usually daily) to go over assignments and check work. if her condition is severe enough AND a doctor will fill out all the necessary paperwork, that could be an alternative. then you'd still be in the tutor category, helping her with assignments as needed when the teacher isn't there.

[Joanne]

This girl has very severe kidney disease which causes much missed school (ps). The kids in her school also bully her because of the weight she has put on due to meds.

I homeschool 2 additional children (soon to be 3 as I'll be taking on the sibling of one of mine).

One of my students has a severe autoimmune. She missed a lot of school (was in the hospital) and was called truant by officials. In addition, she was on prescribed steroids, gained weight and was teased. There's more, but I wanted to offer my BTDT.

I started homeschooling other kids when I closed my daycare, was a single mom and needed income but didn't want to stop homeschooling.

You'd be starting out of care for the family in quesiton; that's a bit different. The custody battle would scare me in your situation. I'm not sure what state you are in. Here in TX, it's legal. I understand (but could be wrong) that HSLDA is against schooling others and won't assist you should you need it.

I like my one room school room! I can't wait for my day to start. My first client family was difficult but the two I have now are blessings.

[GothicGyrl]

I homeschool my neighbors son(he's technically a 9th grader, but because he once had poor reading skills and has been diagnosed with Short Term emory Loss, they were going to keep holding him two grades behind).. He no longer is a "poor reader", he's just average now and he still has STML, but it is nowhere near as bad as when I first started with him this year.

If Dad cannot be home due to work, but he wants her home, he can sign you up as a proxy with the school and you can be the "home bound" home.. you wouldn't be tutoring her and you would have to allow someone in to your home... but...

If dad can be home, then homebound is probably the best way right now due to the custody battle. If there was no custody battle, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

This is one of the reasons I don't like HSLDA--they will NOT help you at all, especially since there is a custody dispute and they won't even help dad if dad were the one to homeschool her. Sad really, but..

In any case, the custody battle has me doubting. I'd honestly check with her school to see if there is a homebound program--there has to be--and get her on that.

[Kelli in TN]

I do. Legally her parents are responsible, but I do all the work.

Don't enter into lightly, no matter how you count the costs before hand it will probably cost more than you can imagine.

But the things God calls us to do are rarely easy and usually call for great sacrifice.

Make sure you know how to protect your family unity ahead of time if you decide to do it. Make sure you and the parents are on the same page, you have got to work as a team. And check your state laws, of course.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I've done it twice.

The first time (many moons ago) went very well. The 16yo 8th grader progressed nicely and a year and a half later started college. I got much satisfaction helping her.

The second time was the beginning of this school year. We struggled a lot though we love the child (8th grader) and though she and my son could do much work together. The reasons were numerous. The final straw (and maybe something to consider) was when my daughter's health required hospitalization (kidney disease) and then medication (which severely affected not only her weight but her whole day, including learning). Add to that a bout of severe depression (including hospitalization) for me. It was just a BAD fall!

Now the virtual academy may be an option worth considering! Is it public school at home like the TXVA.org? My son and the 8th grader started ours in very late October and it has been WONDERFUL! I know that so many people are against these things, but it really has been an absolutely awesome opportunity for my son. Also, because it's public school, that may well be of great help legally for dad. Dad would still need someone to be with her as a "learning coach" though, especially as she's so young.

Anyway, I'm also in Texas so law regarding working with other kids may be a consideration for you. But I just wanted to share my experience.

[Mrs. Readsalot]

I agree with all that GothicGryl said.
I would make sure all the i's are dotted and t's crossed. Start with school they might know the regualtions. Also make sure you have the support of both parents. The legal battle between the parents could make this very difficult for you. Really the fist step would a if it is allowed in your start. For example in Maryland it is my understanding that you have to be the parent/relative to homeschool. The do grant short term exceptions but they are few and difficult to get. This is usually only if someone is already being homeschooled and their parental status changes.
You have a very warm and generous heart to consider taking on this responsibility.

[Remudamom]

I did before when mine were younger but wouldn't do it now. Now that mine are older I have a lot of freedom I wouldn't want to give up. Selfish but true.

[Cadam]

She may qualify for home-bound instruction. I would try that first. I could only hs another child if I knew that family very well or there was no emotional relationship and it was all business (basically, me running a small school).

The home based instructor would only be there a few hours a day and maybe you could include her in your other hs activities and trips exc.

I was homeschooled as a child by the mother of my friend. She had her 4 kids plus my brother and I. It was the most amazing gift anyone has given me and it gave me the confidence the hs my own children. I only wish I could have stayed there and not had to go back to a traditional school. We were transitioning from the local ps to a cs and had to bring up our academic level to get in.

* Clarification - My parents did pay her. But we basically became part of their family. That was the gift.

[K&Rs Mom]

I considered something like this at the request of a friend, and when I looked into it I found out that in Michigan I'd have to register as a private school because they're not my kids. That leads to WAY more regulation by the state (homeschoolers are basically just off the radar here). Honestly, one of my favorite things about homeschooling is the freedom, which would be lost by taking on kids who don't live here - I'd have to do school when they're over, instead of whenever we decide to, and we'd have to work out a schedule of days on & days off, and stick to it. It's great that you want to do this, but please check your state laws and consider all the details before you commit. Custody battles frequently get very ugly, so be prepared to play a part if you're a big part of this girl's life.

[Soph the vet]

Thanks to all of you for such good BTDT advice. I am going to educate the dad on his options regarding homebound education and virtual academies. I'm in Minnesota and as I read the law if I have a baccalaureate that qualifies as an instructor for not just my own kids (if I am reading it right). But I think I'll offer to tutor her a few times a week to get her through the school year and then hopefully their custody battle will be settled by then too. Thanks for your input. Please put this child on your prayer list :).
Soph