Let's Talk Safety To Publications / Articles - Let's Talk Safety

Posted 10/13/25
Lisa Rupertus

Homeschooling has grown astronomically in the past ten years. As a long time homeschooler with a large age gap between my oldest to youngest, I can tell you there was not a lot of things to do back when I started homeschooling. It was rare to find activities but now it seems like we have to turn things down. We could find something to do each day, which is wonderful. It means there is variety of events to meet everyone’s schedule and interests. With this growth there are some safety concerns that need to be addressed. Not every activity is properly vetted, insured and set up with safety in mind. 

Is the Event, Class, or Activity ….

1: Properly Insured?
Insurance is a must have in today’s time. Anyone with a creditable business will have proper insurance to cover accidental injuries. If you are looking at a class, or even a drop off homeschool pod it is important to ask what their insurance situation is. Sometimes it will be covered under the business (like the apple farm has their own insurance to cover apple pickers on their farms.) It gets a little hazy when it is a drop off writing class in someone’s home or at a local park. Will their homeowner’s insurance cover your child if they fall off their chair and break their wrist? It goes both ways - the person offering the class will also benefit from being properly protected should an accident occur. If money is exchanged for service  insurance is usually necessary.

2: Properly Vetted
This is another alarming prospect. Every teacher should be background checked. Period. Honestly, I’m not sure why this isn’t promoted on flyers for events, especially drop off situations. We can never be too careful for the most vulnerable, our children. I will go even further. If an adult is going to be at the event or in the building they too should be background checked. So if little Sally’s Aunt/Uncle is picking her up or staying the day she/he should be vetted. It might seem like this is over the top but I can assure you that people with nothing to hide will not mind being checked out. In fact, they will appreciate knowing that every adult is safe and the kids are also safe. 

3: Safe?
As the community grows there will be new opportunities available. New minds will think of amazing activities to fill in gaps. There are a few automatic questions I ask myself when looking at a pod, class or any type of drop off activity. Is this a well thought out or established event? Do the people running it have expertise, experience or background in what they have planned. Have they followed proper steps to vet and insure their event? Do they have a handbook? Is the ratio of adults to children sufficient to make sure everyone is watched carefully? These are all important questions to ask.

I hope this article helps bring awareness to safety in our community. The goal is always to see children happy, healthy and safe as they grow and learn. With just a little effort we can add that extra level of safety to protect our kids and enjoy the smorgasbord of activities, classes and events that are happening locally.