Michigan legislature introduced a bill that requires check-ups on home school children
Michigan State Democratic Rep. Stephanie Chang announced last Friday that she is introducing a bill that will require the primary caregiver of homeschooled children to allow a person who is on the state’s list to check-on the children at least twice a year.
“We all failed Stoni and Stephen because Michigan does not maintain a list of homeschooled children, and so we have no way to identify and then protect any child who could be at risk for abuse,” said Chang.
The bill is in response to the deaths of 13-year-old Stoni Blair and 9-year-old Stephen Berry who were killed over a year ago by their mother Mitchelle Blair.
Last month, an eviction crew in found the children’s bodies in the freezer. According to the in Detroit Free Press, Blair told the police that she killed the children because she caught them sexually assaulting another child.
The police did not find any evidence to support Blair’s claim. The in other two children, an 8-year-old and a 17-year-old, were removed from the home.
If Chang’s bill becomes law, the primary care giver of homeschooled children will have to provide their relationship to the child, the child’s name, age, and address to the school superintendent in the child’s district.
As stated earlier, the primary caregiver must allow a person who is on the state’s list to check-on the child at least twice a year.
Some of the people who will be included on the state’s list are doctors, teachers, psychologists, and police officers.
Chang has received support from fellow Democrats Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Sheffield and Michigan State Sen. Coleman Young II.
Michigan is one of eleven states that does not require parents who are homeschooling their children to contact the state about how their child is progressing with their education.
“We all failed Stoni and Stephen because Michigan does not maintain a list of homeschooled children, and so we have no way to identify and then protect any child who could be at risk for abuse,” said Chang.
The bill is in response to the deaths of 13-year-old Stoni Blair and 9-year-old Stephen Berry who were killed over a year ago by their mother Mitchelle Blair.
Last month, an eviction crew in found the children’s bodies in the freezer. According to the in Detroit Free Press, Blair told the police that she killed the children because she caught them sexually assaulting another child.
The police did not find any evidence to support Blair’s claim. The in other two children, an 8-year-old and a 17-year-old, were removed from the home.
If Chang’s bill becomes law, the primary care giver of homeschooled children will have to provide their relationship to the child, the child’s name, age, and address to the school superintendent in the child’s district.
As stated earlier, the primary caregiver must allow a person who is on the state’s list to check-on the child at least twice a year.
Some of the people who will be included on the state’s list are doctors, teachers, psychologists, and police officers.
Chang has received support from fellow Democrats Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Sheffield and Michigan State Sen. Coleman Young II.
Michigan is one of eleven states that does not require parents who are homeschooling their children to contact the state about how their child is progressing with their education.
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