"HSLDA? Yeah, I know you guys. You helped shut down Capitol Hill that one time." That event was 25 years ago, back when I was rolling around in pink onesies on my parents’ carpet, rather than meeting with congressional staff as HSLDA’s lobbyist. And the chief of staff in front of me now had been an intern on the Hill back then, fielding phone calls from angry homeschool families on a day that neither he nor anyone else in Washington had ever forgotten.

Homeschoolers will not likely find an outlet that offers so much for all their children at one time as a homeschool support group. Groups offer both playtime and structured activities that appeal to a wide range of ages. In fact, most homeschooling parents rely on support groups as their primary means for socialization for their preschoolers, adolescents, preteens, and teenagers. As a result, most communities boast at least one homeschool group, if not more. Try these methods to find one near you.