Anyone can join the Florida Homeschool Association - FLHSA. We welcome parents, guardians, grandparents and others. Our growing community exists to serve and support those with an interest in Florida home education, in all its forms. Our membership often includes teachers, private school principals, tutors and other stakeholders, too. Membership is open to anyone wishing to learn and walk alongside other families in our State.

In addition to hosting annual events like not-back-to-school field trips, product showcases, and graduations, and providing timely news and updates via their monthly newsletter, FLHSA helps by lending individual family support and by performing special projects throughout the year. Several years ago, FLHSA was instrumental in helping revise the frequently-asked-questions posted on the FL DOE website. Two years ago, FLHSA helped develop the home education program transfer protocol, and the form now used by families moving to another county. FLHSA participated in the development of the Homeschool Affidavit which now appears in DOE's parent resources. This year, FLHSA met with the Speaker's office multiple times, discussing HB 1 legislation and its possible impact on existing Florida home educators. FLHSA has worked with hundreds of people to clarify issues, mitigate disputes and provide procedural guidance when faced with district challenges. FLHSA provides a presence and a voice to home educators statewide, 365 days each year.

No. The FLHSA operates as a business in the State of Florida. Membership dollars support the administration and activities of the FLHSA, which exist to serve Floridians statewide and, on a larger scale, Florida home educators nationwide.

It would be impossible to list all the retailers, businesses and attractions offering educator discounts in our state (and nationally). In general, however, any location offering a homeschool or teacher discount may be asked to consider the FLHSA membership card as verification of homeschooling. While we do not guarantee results, our members tell us they present our card everywhere they go, most times with success. Members report receiving discounts at book stores, Orlando attractions, retailers (such as Michael's and Target) and at many other locations. We recommend trying the card everywhere you go, to see if it is accepted. Member ID card holders at the Standard Level also receive discounts to our events and products, as well as discounts and coupon codes offered by our partners.

FLHSA offers two levels of membership: (1) Member ID Card for $10; and (2) Standard Membership (most popular) for $40 annually. Member ID card holders receive a personalized membership card they can print from their Member Dashboard, and the card remains active for one full year. The membership card displays your name, photo and expiration date, and can be personalized to print one for every member of the family. Standard Members also receive ID cards, but also gain access to our experts when they need us. To Standard Members, we also provide additional benefits, which vary from year to year, and include inside access to our website and bonuses available there. Other member bonuses vary, but often include free books, online webinars, useful documents and guides, product discounts, early access to tickets, and other benefits of being a member.

The Florida Homeschool Association (FLHSA) is known by the Florida Department of Education, Florida Virtual School, Home Education foundation, district offices throughout the state, and many other Florida entities. Because we have worked alongside these groups and personnel for many years, we have earned a reputation of providing accurate and timely information, in many cases, being recommended on their websites. FLHSA is frequently invited to participate in meetings and discussions, respond to difficult questions, and join these groups at seminars and events. We greatly value our partnerships and are committed to maintaining an open and collegial dialogue, sharing information of value to all Florida students, and supporting all efforts that contribute to student success.

Yes. Because homeschool lobbying is so vitally important to the preservation of Florida home education, we make an annual donation to our state's full-time homeschool lobbying organization, HEF. (As of July 1, 2024, due to the increasing volume of members, we are no longer donating throughout the year when our members join, but are making an annual end-of-year donation instead.)

No, your faith stance is not our business. We will never ask you, and try to keep all religious discussions off our forums and events. We do this to focus on how we are alike, not how we are different. While we love and respect the totality of the homeschooling community, we do not belong to any statewide or national Christian organizations, networks or coalitions, or any specifically faith-branded initiatives.

We apologize for any inconvenience, however as of July 1, 2024, our memberships are no longer refundable. The digital nature of our products and almost exclusively online nature of our work means we are no longer accepting requests for membership refunds after they have been processed. Upon joining, we ask our members, like with any other annual subscription, to assume the responsibility of knowing when their membership expires, and canceling or renewing it appropriately on their own. Barring error on our end, we will no longer refund requests for members who purchase in error or forget to update automatic payments.

Yes. The FLHSA remains in communication with district superintendents, liaisons, staff within the Florida Department of Education, and others throughout the state. The FLHSA is committed to sharing relevant information from these entities, and assisting families who interact with these departments, all with the constant goal of adherence to Florida Statutes and insuring compliance and understanding among all stakeholders.

At FLHSA, our team is comprised of unpaid volunteers who have dedicated themselves to helping Florida homeschoolers. We do not receive payments or salaries, and freely donate our time, often at the expense of our own families, jobs and other responsibilities. We charge a membership fee to defray the cost of working for you throughout the year, and to keep our organization operational. Membership fees are applied to the cost of maintaining our membership list, hosting a website, obtaining technical expertise when we need it, buying occasional supplies, renting a venue for an event, and other expenses of this nature. And, yes, you also buy us an occasional cup of coffee or a pizza when we are working thru lunch or dinner. Your membership dollars go directly back into the work that we do on your behalf, so that we may continue to advocate and support for Florida homeschooling.

The FLHSA is not a legal organization, however provides information and resources, including an understanding of Florida homeschool laws as they apply to new and existing Florida families who establish and maintain home education programs in Florida; families transitioning in or out of private and umbrella schools; families moving from district schools to home education; and, some support for those using state-funded tax scholarships to provide personalized educations for their students. FLHSA staff and volunteers are not attorneys and, while we endeavor to provide accurate and timely information obtained only from trusted sources, primarily the Statutes, parents are encouraged to seek professional legal counsel, if they believe it is warranted.