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Macmom
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Does anyone live in a diocese where the bishop (or chancery) has developed guidelines for sacramental preparation, etc. for homeschoolers.... including approved textbooks? We are facing this in our diocese and wonder what regulations others must live under.
Peace,
Macmom
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Catholic family life works on the same principle as a washing machine- clothes get clean by agitation.
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sarahb
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We have them.
The upshot of ours seems to be that children should do their sacraments with their peer group using materials approved by the diocese. I will add that I was specifically told I could not do sacrament prep at home by teh DRE and then we did the parish program and were told we'd be doing most of the prep at home. I think the 40$ per sacrament fee on top of sunday school registration has a lot to do with why they want us to do it at the rel ed class.
We have a new DRE this year and I have no kids in sacrament prep but my kids enjoyed rel ed and Im teaching again. They sucked us in. LOL
We are Diocese of Lafayette IN.
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stellamaris
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Our diocese (Wilmington, DE) requires two years of prep in the parish CCD program for FHC, and two years for Confirmation. The series they use is one that my VA pastor said he considered and then rejected because "it was so bad"! Yikes! The children cannot be prepared at home! Needless to say, we are having our children do their sacramental prep under the auspices of our parish in VA, since they are happy to have us prepare them at home. We are fortunate, since we still have a home in VA and are only temporarily in this diocese, so we are still officially members of our VA parish. The diocesan office in charge of religious education here in DE was very unfriendly to us, I am sorry to say. The local DRE was also very curt. Seems like this is not a very home-school friendly area altogether.
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Caroline
Wife to  dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
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MaryM
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Our diocese (Denver) has a policy for families who opt to educate their own children for catechism and/or sacramental prep. This would include people who aren't necessarily homeschooling in general as well as those of us who are homeschoolers all around. I feel our policy is very fair and balanced - it really protects the right of parents as primary educators. It's been a helpful policy for us in cases where families have had problems in their individual parishes, because the diocese policy clearly does not mandate much - parents are "invited" and "encouraged" but not mandated.
The entire Pastoral Handbook for the diocese can be found on-line. I've included the section that pertains to homeschooling here.
3.3.8. Home School Programs
Church teaching consistently affirms the right of parents to provide for the faith formation and religious education of their children.
3.3.8.1. The Office Evangelization and Catechesis offers assistance to pastors and parents preparing children for the reception of First Penance, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation.
3.3.8.2. Parents and pastors have responsibility for preparing children being educated at home for the reception of First Penance and First Holy Communion in accord with the provisions of Canon 914.
3.3.8.3. Likewise, parents and pastors have responsibility for preparing children being educated at home for the reception of Confirmation (canon 890).
3.3.8.4. Periodic meetings between the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis and home-schooling parents may assist the preparation for home-school children in their first reception of these sacraments.
3.3.8.5. Parents are invited to review the parishes’ instructional materials used to prepare children for the reception of these sacraments. Parents are encouraged to use the materials approved by the USCCB and the Office of Catholic Schools.
3.3.8.6. Children educated at home normally receive the sacraments at the same age as other children from the parish. Pastors must evaluate the readiness of children for sacraments within the parish in collaboration with the parents and child. Attendance of parish religious education classes may not be made a condition for reception of the sacraments as the children’s parents have both the right and duty so long as they do so in consultation with the Pastor.
3.3.8.7. Children educated at home are strongly encouraged to participate in all liturgies for those preparing for sacraments since the liturgy is the source and summit of Christian life and the privileged place for catechesis. This invitation includes other special events supporting sacramental preparation.
3.3.8.8. Parents of children educated at home are to be notified concerning special programs that the parish is sponsoring for parents of children preparing to receive these sacraments. Parents are to be encouraged to have their children participate in these programs; however, children may not be denied the reception of these sacraments because of the failure of parents to participate in these programs.
3.3.8.9. As a general rule, children educated at home are to receive Penance, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation in their parish church.
3.3.8.10. Cases of doubt should always be resolved in favor of the right of the child to receive the sacrament.
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And this is from a publication called the National Directory for Catechesis – United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2005. Basically it reafirms parents in their right to do home catechesis and sacramental prep, but does require cooperation between parent/priest/DRE-catechist leader and recommend use of approved materials and involvement with the chuch community in other prep activities. This is what bishops and diocese should be allowing in the US and basing their dicesan policies on.
As the primary educators of their children, parents have the right and the duty to choose the kind of educational environment that they determine best suits their children’s needs. Therefore, home schooling is a viable option for the general education of children.
If Catholic parents chose to provide catechesis for their children in their home, that catechesis must be both complete and authentic. The bishop of the diocese, the pastor of the parish, the parents, and the children all have God-given responsibilities that must be respected in considering home-based catechesis. The home-based catechesis of children is a cooperative effort between the children, their parents, parish leadership, and diocesan bishop. Parents who chose to be not only the primary educators of their children but also their catechists must adhere to all guidelines for catechists as outlined by diocesan bishop.
Parents who chose to catechize their children at home should not feel alone in this task. They are part of the parish’s total catechetical effort and should be welcomed in all parish catechetical program activities. Pastors in collaboration with parish catechetical leaders should provide the support, encouragement, and direction that parents need in order to ensure that they teach their children what the Church intends to be taught by providing parents with copies of appropriate sections of the diocesan curriculum. Parents who would like to provide catechesis at home should make themselves known to the local pastor and consult with him or his delegate to ensure that the catechesis provide in the home is the catechesis of the Church. Dialogue between the pastor and the parents is essential to complete an authentic catechesis of children in their homes.
All parents have an obligation to involve their children in the life and mission of the Church. Since their children are being initiated into the life of the Church, which is fundamentally realized in the local parish, parents who provide catechesis for their children in their homes should participate fully in the life of the local parish. They should celebrate the Sunday Eucharist in the local parish, involve themselves in its charitable works, and attend appropriate training and formation sessions the parish or diocese provides. Since the celebration of the sacraments continually integrates children into the Body of Christ, preparing children for reception of the sacraments should always be undertaken in collaboration with the local pastor and catechetical leader. These children should be encouraged to participate in non-instructional, preparatory activities of the parish peer group preparing for the sacrament. Parents who provide catechesis for their children in their homes can use those catechetical materials that have been approved by the diocesan bishop. (pp. 259-260)
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DianaC
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We in the Raleigh Diocese are very fortunate. Our bishop has been very encouraging to homeschool families and this policy was recently put into place:
Diocesan Homeschool Catechesis Policy
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guitarnan
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We're in Baltimore. Our homeschoolers must use textbooks on the USCCB approved list (F&L is on there, as is the Didache series...these are what we use).
The entire policy statement is here.
It sounds really flexible, but in practice, both of my children have had to participate in the parish sacramental prep programs (one year for Confirmation, less for Penance).
We used to have to meet with our DRE every year but she's gotten to know us well enough to waive that requirement. Also, she was surprised we kept enrolling our son in the RE program (as a homeschooler) after Confirmation. (That was in 9th grade!) She says most families "don't bother" after the Confirmation year. 
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Topic: Diocesan Guidelines for homeschoolers?
