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Need help-guardianship of 14 year old cousin
gooberoon December 5, 2012
To make a long story short, my 14 year old cousin lost his mother in a car accident on Monday and his father is unable to care for him. He has been "home schooled" by his mother, but I know never was schooled. He can not read or write and has no math knowledge.
My goal is to get him caught up and get him into a vocational high school in September. I know that we need to take this process slowly, he has no social skills or much of an education.
What are my recourses and where do I start in this process? I am confused as to how a child could fall through the cracks and be that far behind...aren't there guideline for homeschooling?
MagnetMom December 6, 2012
Hi gooberoon, and welcome to the GreatSchools parent community.
First of all, my condolences to you and your cousin. Secondly, you're doing a great thing taking care of your cousin's needs.
Does he have a social worker? I would start with the department that has given you custody and ask what evaluation resources they have available to him. I worry that this is more than just a simple homeschooling issue and wonder if he doesn't have some underlying learning disabilities.
Every state has different rules on homeschooling so find out what your state allows. You might find that with your cousin's needs that being in a school setting, at least part time, may be beneficial.
Good luck.81633
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