Families for Home Education

08/23/2026

Go to our Events to register.
https://fhe-mo.org/events

These will be the last Zooms for 2026. Our volunteer team will be taking time off for the upcoming holidays and to prepare for the next legislative session.

08/06/2026

If you have not sent your public school a withdrawal letter for the new school year, you need to do that soon. Private school withdrawals need to follow that school's exit policy. If you are moving to MO or have a little one who has not been in public school K yet, then no one needs to be notified.

K letter for any child who has been enrolled to start K this fall and now you plan to homeschool. NO records or hours needed until age 7.
https://fhe-mo.org/kindergarten-withdrawal-letter

All other grades, here is your sample withdrawal letter. All records and hours will be needed. And don't forget to count all things done since July 1(PE, art, music, reading, audio books, field trips, etc) even if you plan to start bookwork later in Aug or Sept.
https://fhe-mo.org/withdrawalletter
https://fhe-mo.org/gettingstartedchecklist

REMEMBER that you only have to notify the school ONCE. And you NEVER have to sign the school letter. They are required by law to unenroll your child promptly once they have your written notice.

07/20/2026

Thank You!! Thank You!! Thank You!!
FHE Homeschool Resource Fair in St Louis was a HUGE success on Saturday. What a day.
66 Amazing Organizations
1200 attendees (yes, we had a clicker to count. :) )
7 Workshops with 509 attendees
1 Amazing Food Truck (Doughboys Wood Fired Pizza - YUMMY)

Many thanks to the Clark Family Branch for all their help in making this event an amazing day for our homeschool community. Thanks to all the great organizations that spent their day with us.

For a list of organizations and their contact information, go to our Region 5 page and the pdf link.
https://fhe-mo.org/Resources/2-393.pdf

07/04/2026

Annual Homeschool Resource Fair - St Louis/St Charles Region 5
2 MORE WEEKS

Saturday, July 18, 2026
10:00-2:00
Clark Family Branch, 1640 S Lindbergh Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63131

We have 72 organizations coming with several new ones. Here is a list of all groups planning to attend.
https://fhe-mo.org/Resources/3-392.pdf

New Location, LOTS of Parking, Food Truck from 11-1, Workshops throughout the day.
**New Location - Come in Side Doors, Follow the signs
**Plenty of Parking - Additional at the Litzsinger School next door
(10094 Litzsinger Rd, St. Louis, MO 63124)
**Food Truck from 11:00-1:00 Doughboy's Wood Fired Pizza Truck

Free and bring the whole family. No registration needed.
One giveaway bag per family with more information while supplies last.

See you there.

07/01/2026

Welcome back to school. A few things to remember:
1. Year: The school year for EVERY child in MO is July 1 to June 30 regardless of where they go to school.

2. Schedule: Your schedule within that year is whatever you need it to be. Many school year around and take breaks when they want. Others follow a rough public school schedule and start in Aug/Sept with seatwork, but still count all the great summer activities like reading, PE, vacation activities, field trips, documentaries, projects, holiday traditions, life skills, etc.

3. Withdrawal:
*If your child has never been in a MO school (preschool does not count) OR have recently moved to MO and never enrolled, then there is NO ONE to notify about homeschooling. We don't register in MO.
*If you child just came out of the public school this May/June, they you do need to send the school your withdrawal letter. They are legally enrolled until you tell the school they are not.
https://fhe-mo.org/withdrawalletter
*If you have a little one starting K this fall, have them enrolled and not plan to homeschool, you will also need to send a withdrawal letter.
https://fhe-mo.org/kindergarten-withdrawal-letter
*Coming out of a private school? Then a letter is not needed. Call or email the school and follow their exit policy.

4. Homeschooled child turning 7 this year? You will need to start tracking hours by their 7th birthday. You can do this one of two ways.
*Start the semester before the birthday. July to December birthdays can start July 1 and complete all 1000 hours. January to June birthdays can start January 1 and split all hours in half. 1000 hours to 500, 600 core to 300.
*OR prorate the hours for the remainder of the year. Count all calendar days from the birthday to next June 30, then multiply by 2.74 ( 1000 hours / 365 days). That will give you your remaining hours for the year. Multiply the hours by .6 or 60% for the core hours.
*The recommendation was changed several years ago after Covid to align with our state law. Instead of waiting until the following school year to start when a child turns 7, we start on or slightly before the 7th birthday to agree with the law that states all children must be in school by 7.
https://fhe-mo.org/7yearoldrecordkeepingrecommendation

5. Join one of our free Zoom homeschool workshops this summer (more will be scheduled for fall). Register at our FHE Events.
https://fhe-mo.org/events

Other helpful FHE links:
https://fhe-mo.org/gettingstartedchecklist
https://fhe-mo.org/curriculum
https://fhe-mo.org/specialneedsresources

Find your region and get connected with local support groups, co-ops and learning centers.
https://fhe-mo.org/regions

06/24/2026

06/20/2026

FHE was there when the law was passed in 1986 and had already been working behind the scenes for 3 years since 1983. A lot of great homeschool pioneers helped it get across the finish line and signed by the governor to give us the freedom we enjoy today. No registration with the state. No standardized testing required. No being subject to someone else from the government to oversee our choices in educating our children. Happy Birthday MO Homeschoolers!!! Remember that freedom must always be fought for and protected.

Ronald Reagan: "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same..."

06/09/2026

Still one more Zoom in June. And here is the July and August Free Zoom Schedule. Head over to our Events to register.
https://fhe-mo.org/events

05/27/2026

FHE Annual Homeschool Resource Fair 2026
https://fhe-mo.org/
https://www.slcl.org/hours-and-locations/clark-family-branch
Saturday, July 18 from 10:00-2:00
St Louis County Library Clark Family Branch
1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63131-3598

Bring your Families to this FREE event; NO registration required.
Free Giveaway Bag full of great information while supplies last.
70 Organizations from the region that offer programs, resources and/or classes for your homeschool families

Exciting news:
**New Location - Come in Side Doors, Follow the signs
**Plenty of Parking - Additional at the Litzsinger School next door
(10094 Litzsinger Rd, St. Louis, MO 63124)
**Food Truck from 11:00-1:00 Doughboy's Wood Fired Pizza Truck

Schedule of Workshop Presentations:

**Homeschooling 101 in Missouri (10:30 a.m.)
Presented by Families for Home Education
This will be a quick overview of our homeschooling law. Join us as we cover the withdrawal process, our Missouri homeschool law, and what records/hours you need to keep.

**Gateway to Reading (11:00 a.m.)
Presented by St. Louis County Library
Reading success starts at home. Gateway to Reading offers workshops for caregivers and children to learn and practice evidence-based techniques, curated kits with decodable books, decodable readalongs and games.

**Online Library Resources to Boost Learning at Home (11:30 a.m.)
Presented by St. Louis County Library
Discover the library’s online resources that support students of all ages. Access tools that strengthen literacy skills, provide live, free tutoring, offer ready to use lesson plans and materials, and help you find research support for assignments.

**Creative Lab for Homeschool Families (12:00 p.m.)
Presented by St. Louis County Library
Discover how homeschool students can learn, create and explore in St. Louis County Library’s Creative Lab, a hands-on makerspace supporting STEM, art, and entrepreneurship. Students can 3D print prototypes, use a laser cutter and Cricut machines, design with Adobe Creative Cloud, and record podcasts or videos in a professional studio. This presentation will highlight how families can use these real-world tools to enhance learning and bring creative ideas to life.

**Library Resources and Programs for Home Educators (12:30 p.m.)
Presented by St. Louis County Library
Explore some of the library's popular resources that can help support homeschooling families. We'll cover different kits and items you can check out with a library card and programs you can attend.

**Learning Opportunities at the Emerson History & Genealogy Center (1:00 p.m.)
Presented by St. Louis County Library
Discover resources for tracing ancestors and exploring local history, including available databases, the print collection, and more!

**Thinking Outside the Box (1:30 p.m.)
Presented by Families for Home Education
Are you wondering how you are going to get those 1000 hours or struggle trying to figure out where to log an activity? How do you keep records when you unschool? Homeschooling is not like public school, and we often must "think outside the box" to educate our children and get our required hours. Join us for some ideas on what to count and where you can log it into your records.

05/18/2026

Congratulations to the 2026 FHE High School Graduates. If you have an upcoming Senior this next year and want to participate in the Region 3 (KC Area) 2027 graduation, please join our FB page so that you can stay up to date on the summer kick off meeting and any plans the graduating class makes. Details will start being posted later this summer.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1501389591367835

Send a message to learn more