Do these proposed changes impact homeschoolers? Yes, they impact ALL Pennsylvanians. There, however, is not anything in the proposed changes that impacts homeschoolers any differently than anyone else in Pennsylvania. *Cooperative and Hybrid programs should be aware of sections of the proposal that gives the Dept. of Health permission to enter different locations freely. You can read all of the proposed changes here.
Over the past several months, Pennsylvania Homeschool families have faced mounting pressure from school districts to provide private medical information. Our Pennsylvania Governor has directed the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PDH) to require families to turn over sensitive personal health data to their local school districts through the PA Dept of Education. This data collected has now been used to create and publicize a public registry of vaccination rates by school district. Media outlets have already used this data, highlighting Christian schools and communities with higher concentrations of people holding Christian beliefs as having the lowest vaccination rates. The data of homeschoolers is included in district stats. What other pressure or consequences districts with high non-vaccination rates or compliance rates will face is not yet known. What trickle down impact that will have on homeschoolers is also unknown.
At the heart of this issue is a fundamental question of parental rights: To whom do the children in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania belong? Through their actions, the Governor and many state legislators appear to treat children as wards of the state—suggesting that decisions about their health and safety should be made by bureaucrats rather than by the parents who know and love them best.
I would argue instead that every child is made in the image of God, and therefore belongs to Him (Jeremiah 18:6). God gifts children to parents through the miracle of birth (Psalm 127:3) and commands parents to raise them faithfully (Ephesians 6:4). Families, not the state, bear the primary responsibility for decisions about the children entrusted to them. Some parents may choose to follow the recommended vaccination schedule in totality. Others may opt for a modified schedule. Still others may decline vaccination altogether. Each of these choices are acceptable when made prayerfully and according to God’s leading.
In the midst of this pressure, do not let the governor, the legislature, or the media distract you from what is truly at stake: Who do your children belong to—the state, or God, with you as His steward?
To voice your concerns about the proposed Department of Health changes to Chapter 27, visit this link to make your voice heard. Comments are public, so it is not recommended to include private health information. Public comment is open until Monday, September 21st.
Do not give up your free will or that of your children.
Sources:
Memo from PA Dept of Health and PA Dept of Ed –
