Connecticut’s Department of Education has adopted optional homeschool guidelines, which say that a family can create a presumption that they are providing equivalent instruction to their children if they voluntarily file a notice of intent to homeschool with their local school superintendent within 10 days of starting their homeschool program. Because of these guidelines, some school districts may ask families to file a notice of intent, or send the family a notice of intent to fill out. This is optional, and while there may be some circumstances where it may be beneficial to file one, for most families it is not necessary. If you do decide that filing an optional notice of intent is best for your situation, we recommend a few safeguards. First, we recommend using this notice of intent form created by the state Department of Education, which is limited to providing the name of the teacher, the subjects to be taught and days of instruction, and the teacher’s methods of assessment. We also recommend that if you file an optional notice, you mail your notice to the school district via Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested. If you decide to hand-deliver your optional notice, be sure to have the superintendent's office mark the date the letter was received, sign or stamp the letter to indicate receipt, and give you a photocopy that you can keep for your records. Finally, it’s important to note that even if you file an optional notice, it is not a request for approval. Two surrounding states (Massachusetts and Rhode Island) still require families to seek “approval” to homeschool. Connecticut does not. Filing a notice is voluntary, does not seek “approval” to homeschool, and receipt of your notice by the school district does not in any way constitute “approval” of your homeschool program.