Homeschool Mother Arrested: Children Placed In Foster Care After New York Mom Takes Over Their Education

A single mother in New York was arrested and had her children taken from her after deciding to remove them from public school and homeschool them instead. Kiarre Harris’ two young children attended Buffalo public elementary schools, which she said were “failing her children” and prompted her to teach them from her home.

Despite submitting the proper paperwork notifying Buffalo School District she was removing her kids from Waterfront Elementary and PS 65-Roosevelt ECC in December, Harris told New York’s ABC News affiliate that police still arrested her. Her children were taken by Child Protective Services about a month after she officially unenrolled them from the two schools.

“I spoke directly to the homeschool coordinator and she told me from this point on my children were officially un-enrolled from school,” Harris said.

That didn’t stop Harris’ children from being placed in foster care, where she said they had been living for the past three weeks.

The Buffalo Public School District said it couldn’t comment on the issue because of federal law requirements. However, the district said in a statement that only parents with full custody of a child could file for homeschool. Harris said she has been raising her children as a single parent and has always had full custody of them until they were taken by Child Protective Services.

Buffalo Councilman Ulysees O. Wingo Sr., told ABC News that Harris’ arrest was and the removal of her children from their home was "utterly unacceptable."

"Someone, somewhere messed up, and that someone needs to face the music," he said. “Did anyone from the school reach out to the mother? We don't know. It's very important for us to look at the details and get all of the details.”

New York homeschooling laws have mandated that a parent or guardian must submit a notice of intent to homeschool to a school district superintendent in the beginning of the school year or within 14 days of starting a homeschool program during the school year. Other requirements along with the notice of intent include: an individualized home instruction plan or a learning syllabus detailing curriculum materials; plan of instruction and textbooks that will be used while homeschooling; and attendance records that show the child has met the substantially equivalent 180 days of schooling per year.