Finding home education groups and co-ops in Australia

• Home Education Association (HEA): a national membership association for Australian home educators. Its website has a searchable list of local home education community groups by state, and it says it does not promote or endorse any particular group. The HEA also lists a phone helpline and says its state volunteers can answer questions and guide families through registration. Membership is paid; some information is free.
• Home Education Network (HEN), Victoria: a not-for-profit, volunteer-run support group for Victorian home educators. HEN publishes a directory of groups in metropolitan and regional Victoria, run by members and non-members, and says listings are a community service rather than an endorsement. It also runs events, camps and activities and keeps an events calendar.
• ACT and surrounds: the ACT Education Directorate's home education support page lists community groups including Christian Home Education in Canberra (CHEC), which describes itself as an ecumenical Christian support network, and the Home Education Network Canberra and Southern Tablelands (HENCAST), an informal network whose members organise social events and educational outings.
• NSW: the NSW Government's home schooling contacts page points families to support groups and networks, and notes that it does not endorse any particular group and that some groups charge fees.

In other states and territories, start with the HEA's local group list and ask your home education regulator whether it keeps a list of community contacts.

Most local home education groups are informal and run by volunteer parents, so they can be hard to find through a web search alone. Ways families commonly find them:

• Ask other home educators. Once you meet one family, you'll usually hear about several groups.
• Your local library. Many libraries run daytime programs that suit home-educated children, and staff often know which groups book rooms or meet nearby.
• Your local council. Council community directories sometimes list home education groups, along with halls and parks you can use.
• Facebook and other online groups. Search for your suburb, town or region with "home education" or "homeschool". Many groups share last-minute meetups this way. Read the group's rules and check who runs it before sharing personal details or your children's photos.

Groups vary in style. Some are secular, some are faith-based, some follow a particular approach such as unschooling or classical education, and some focus on a single activity such as nature walks or sport. It's fine to try a few before you settle.

A co-op (cooperative) is a group of families who share the work of running regular activities or lessons. There is no single model, but most fall into one of these patterns:

• Parent-led rotation: parents take turns teaching a topic or leading an activity they know well, such as art, science experiments or a language.
• Shared-cost classes: families split the cost of a hired tutor, instructor or venue, for example for a weekly drama, music or sport session.
• Social and excursion groups: families meet for park days, outings and camps, with little formal teaching.

Before you join, ask how often the group meets, what each family is expected to contribute (teaching, set-up, cleaning, money), what ages it suits, how decisions are made and what happens if a family has to leave. A co-op is part of your child's learning, not a replacement for your own registered home education program, so keep records of what your child does there.

If you can't find a group that suits you, starting a small one is often easier than expected. Practical steps:

• Start small. Three to five families who already get along is enough. You can grow later.
• Agree on the purpose. Decide whether you're mainly social, mainly academic or a mix, and which ages you'll cater for.
• Find a venue. Parks, libraries, community centres and church or council halls are common choices. Ask whether the venue requires public liability insurance.
• Write a few simple rules. Cover parent supervision, how costs are shared, how decisions are made, privacy and photos, and what happens if there's a conflict.
• Check insurance and screening. If you hire tutors or instructors, or if adults will supervise other people's children, read the safety section below. It's worth asking your state or national association whether it offers guidance or insurance options for groups.

Home-educated children can join the same community clubs as other children. Some widely available options:

• Little Athletics: Athletics Australia says Little Athletics runs at approximately 500 locations in every state and territory, with the main season over the warmer months. Contact your local centre or state association for ages, dates and fees.
• Scouts Australia: Scouts has sections for young people from about age 5 to 25, with groups found through each state branch. Scouts Australia says families without a nearby group can ask their state branch about Lone Scouting.
• Girl Guides: Girl Guides Australia is the national body for Guiding and is made up of state Guiding organisations, which handle membership. Contact the Guides organisation in your state to find a unit.

Local sporting clubs, swimming programs, music and drama groups, and council holiday programs are also worth checking. Some clubs run daytime sessions that suit home educators, especially in winter sports.

Socialisation is one of the most common worries for families considering home education. An Australian survey of home-educating parents, reported in The Conversation in 2019, found that the children were involved in a range of community, learning and co-op groups and had plenty of opportunities to socialise.

Home-educated children's social lives look different from school: more mixed-age contact, more time with adults and family, and friendships built through groups and clubs rather than a classroom. HEN Victoria notes that children can join sports, clubs and hobby groups, and that home education brings regular contact with people of all ages.

It still takes planning. If your child is lonely, shy or struggling with friendships, regular commitments (the same group each week) usually help more than occasional one-off events.

Australia has no single national working with children check. Each state and territory runs its own screening scheme through a single screening unit, and the rules differ on who must hold a check, how long it lasts and what counts as child-related work. In the ACT and Tasmania the check is called a Working with Vulnerable People registration.

Exemptions also vary. For example, Western Australia has a parent volunteer exemption that applies only in some categories of child-related work and only where the parent's own child is involved. Other states have different rules, so check with your state or territory screening agency before assuming a parent volunteer is exempt.

Practical steps for groups and co-ops:

• Ask paid tutors, instructors and activity providers whether they hold a current check for your state, and verify it through the screening agency where that's possible. HEN Victoria advises families attending commercially run events to check that facilitators hold Working with Children Checks.
• Agree on supervision. Many groups require each parent to supervise their own children at all times, which keeps responsibility clear.
• Avoid one adult alone with a child who isn't their own, and keep activities in open, visible spaces.
• Have a photo and privacy rule for social media, and an agreed way to raise concerns.