December MICHN Moment- A word from our President

Our MiCHN family and friends, “ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-7   We want to thank you for your patience as we have begun to sort through and come to understand the full extent of everything going on in Lansing right now. With the latest developments and statements from certain elected officials, we know there are many unanswered questions, concerns, fears, and doubts that you all have. It is our hope and prayer that this letter and all the information within will help guide you and bring some momentary peace to a very volatile situation. Many of you may even be largely unaware of what has been happening. On December 2, 2023, the Washington Post published a story highlighting the abuse and death of a child whose family claimed to “homeschool.” MiCHN’s own Vice-President, Israel Wayne was highlighted and quoted in that article, in defense of you, our homeschooling families. Since the release of that article, Michigan’s Attorney General Dana Nessel has called for “monitoring mechanisms'' to be used in order to “protect children.” Along with the Attorney General, Representative Matt Koleszar (D-22nd District) has also called for the registration and regulation of home educators state-wide. First, we must stress with you that as of the writing of this letter, no bill has formally been introduced to either chamber of our legislature. With that said, Representative Koleszar has stated that the legislature is “likely to see a bill” when they reconvene next month in the beginning of January. With that said, MiCHN does not expect a vote to take place on ANY bill introduced to the legislature until the two vacant seats left by Representative Coleman and Representative Stone are filled after the special elections on April 16, 2024. This means we, as a community, have a lot of work ahead of us. So what CAN we do? PRAY! We are in a situation that is going to require God to move and lead. If you are not accustomed to spending time in prayer, we would encourage you and your family to begin doing so.   Pray for the following: State law-makers whose hearts need to be softened toward homeschooling families Attorney General Dana Nessel State Representative Matt Koleszar (House Education Committee Chair) State Senator Dayna Polehanki (Senate Education Committee Chair) Governor Gretchen Whitmer Your own state representative and state senator (FIND THEM HERE)   State law-makers fighting for the rights of homeschoolers State Representative Jaime Greene State Representative Gina Johnsen State Representative Luke Meerman State Senator Lana Theis State Senator Ruth Johnson   Your MiCHN Team We are working and communicating non-stop in order to make sure we are understanding and pursuing all the right channels we need to in order to give this the best fight possible. We are all volunteers. We are tired. We have families. Please pray for strength, perseverance, and protection. Educate yourself on the issue. You can’t defend to your family and friends what you truly don’t understand. Below you will find a few resources we have compiled to make it easier for you. Please visit each website and familiarize yourself with the arguments to defend home education against these ridiculous arguments about abuse. https://www.nheri.org/child-abuse-and-neglect-of-the-homeschooled-versus-the-conventionally-schooled-groundbreaking-study/ https://homeschoolfreedom.com/homeschooling-and-abuse https://homeschoolingbackgrounder.com/   Talk to EVERYONE! Word of mouth is the best way forward right now. Make sure you are sharing this information with everyone you know. GET THE WORD OUT.   Be prepared to sacrifice your TIME. Come January, things could ramp up quickly in Lansing. Strategize with your family and friends and come to Lansing to sit in on education committee meetings. Lawmakers in Lansing listen to those who show up. Let’s pack the committee meetings. If your children are well behaved, bring them along. This is a great opportunity for them to experience civics first-hand. Phone calls to your state senator and state representative is a HUGE thing you can do. You can find their contact information by visiting the state’s website for your lawmaker. If you live in Representative Koleszar or Senator Polehanki’s districts, this is IMPERATIVE!! (FIND THEM HERE)  Write a letter to your state senator or state representative. (Find them HERE)  We have attached a form letter you are more than welcome to use. Please note: most lawmakers agree these letters do NOT do much to persuade them. When they receive form letters, they often end up in a bin never to be read. MiCHN would recommend you utilize our draft as a starting point and create your own letter to your lawmakers. (See below)    Financial Support. As mentioned above, everyone at MiCHN are volunteers. They volunteer their time, gifts/talents, and experience to fight for you. Every dollar you donate to MiCHN goes directly to the fight we are about to face. Please prayerfully consider partnering with us through an end-of-year donation. We are a 501c3 and your donation is tax deductible. (DONATE HERE)   Prepare your homeschool. We at MiCHN recommend you: Become a member of HSLDA right now. The threat is looming and you want to make sure you’re legally ready for any fight ahead. (Get our discount HERE) Keep records. We do not know yet what this bill will look like and what they hope to impose on us. By keeping records, you are preparing yourself for what could be ahead. Sign-up at our website to receive legislative updates. (Do that HERE) While it is not our goal to spam your email, things in Lansing can change quickly. The best and quickest way to communicate with all of you is through our email system. The last thing we want to mention is that we are strategizing and planning a Facebook/Twitter Live video where you can engage with us and ask us questions directly. While the details of this event are still forthcoming, we want you to be aware and be on the lookout. This will be a great opportunity for you to come directly to us with your questions regarding all the above and the situation quickly unfolding in our state’s capital. We love and appreciate each and every one of you. You and your families are why we do what we do. Keep your faith in the Lord, rest in Him and His peace. Through it all, He remains sovereign. Your MiCHN Legislative Team: Israel Wayne-Vice President Shanté Pickford-Legislative Director Patti Sailor-Legislative Liaison See the form letter HERE

MiCHN Condemns State Representative Koleszar’s Attempt to Blame Michigan Homeschool Families for State’s Failure to Protect Foster Kids Lansing, MI  The Michigan Christian Homeschool Network today condemned a social media post from State Representative Matt Koleszar (D-22nd District) that called for increased regulations of homeschool families following an unrelated case of abuse within the foster care system of Michigan. In response, Michigan Christian Homeschool Network (MICHN) Vice-President Israel Wayne issued the following statement: “MiCHN is unequivocally opposed to any and all abuse of children, and believe those who abuse children should be prosecuted by the adequate child abuse laws that already exist in our state. Instead of exploiting a false political narrative about home education to make headlines, Representative Koleszar’s time would be better spent focusing on improving Michigan’s struggling public school system, focusing his attention on the real problems that plague the state’s Child Protective Services and the abuse of children in union-backed schools." “We have fought long and hard in both the courts and the legislature to secure our current Michigan homeschool laws, and today we reiterate our position that we will resist, to the fullest measure, any efforts to restrict the homeschool freedoms that families have enjoyed since 1993. Homeschool families should not be burdened with additional regulations because of a few bad parents who break the law and abuse their children.” The Michigan Christian Homeschool Network (MICHN) was founded in 1984 to advance homeschool freedom in the state of Michigan so that it can be a place for families to freely pass on their values and faith, training their children through home-based, parent-directed, privately-funded home education.   We have more research and information HERE. Read MiCHN's Statement on Abuse and Child Protection Policy. Homeschooling and Abuse. Child Abuse and Neglect of the Homeschooled Versus the Conventionally Schooled: Groundbreaking Study. One child fatality is one too many.