FUNDS: Special Needs Children's Fund Mission The Special Needs Children’s Fund enables financially struggling homeschooling families to provide a quality education for their children with special learning needs. Story An increasing number of families with special needs children are seeking the benefits of homeschooling and the services of Home School Legal Defense Association. Approximately 10 percent of HSLDA member families now indicate they are homeschooling a child with special learning needs. Many of these children struggle with learning disabilities, mental retardation, hearing or visual impairments, and severe disorders or syndromes. In 1993, based on requests from members, HSLDA added a special needs coordinator to our staff. Today, we have two professional consultants on staff to assist our families with special needs children. As these families began homeschooling, private evaluations and therapy were often necessary as part of their homeschool programs, but frequently were too expensive. In January of 2002, the Home School Foundation created the Special Needs Children’s Fund. The Fund is designed to assist HSLDA member families with the financial challenges of privately meeting the academic needs of their special needs children. Special Needs Application (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)   Required Document 1 Apply The Special Needs Children's Fund is designed to offer assistance to HSLDA families who are struggling with the financial burden of meeting their child's special learning needs. Our Fund helps with special therapies, equipment, testing and specialized materials. Scholarships are granted on the basis of financial need and the availability of funds. Also please note that to be eligible for this fund you are required to have been an HSLDA member for at least 6 months. We now offer two enrollment periods for the Special Needs applications. For the first enrollment period, you must have your application submitted on or before May 15. For the second enrollment period, you must have your application submitted on or before October 15. If you are a widow with special needs children, please contact our offices before downloading and filling out this application. Please print out the checklist, application and reference form and send them with the required documentation (listed on application) to: Special Needs Children's Fund Applications PO Box 1152 Purcellville, VA 20134 *Please Note We Do Not Accept Faxes* Give If you have any questions on this fund, or if you would like to donate to this fund, please call us at 540-338-8688, contact us online, or make an online donation. Testimonies Health Problems Lead Gibbs Family to Homeschooling Aaron suffered from serious health problems that frequently interfered with his schooling, this particular symptom was unusual. Christine hurried to school to find her son pale and exhausted. Continuing to complain of chest pain, Christine rushed him to the hospital. [More...] Between a Rock and a Hard Place Medical and special therapy costs can quickly exhaust the efforts of even the most generous extended families and church families…. [More...] God Put Us All Together The babies we have adopted always come with many health concerns… Against extreme odds, these children have made remarkable recoveries. We thought we had made it until several of them reached school age… Our pediatrician agreed with us that home schooling was appropriate for our children. [More...]   Share in what the Foundation is doing. Subscribe to The Foundation Report e-mail.   « AND »  © Site Copyright 2010 Home School Foundation P.O. Box 1152 · Purcellville, VA 20134 · Phone: (540) 338-8688 · Contact Us