Family Christian Homeschool Co-op
 

FAQs



Co-op

Q:

Why would I want to join a homeschool co-op?

A:

A homeschool co-op provides parents and students with friendship, a support system, social activities and educational opportunities. Families join for the enrichment and also for the academic classes. Some families have been with our co-op for many years.

Q:

What is the Family Christian Homeschool Co-op?

A:

We are a dedicated group of Christians homeschool families that share in the education of our children by teaching classes to them one day a week.

Q:

Where does the Family Christian Homeschool Co-op meet?

A:

We meet at North Fairfield Baptist Church in Fairfield Township of Butler County, Ohio. The address is 6853 Gilmore Rd, Hamilton, OH 45011.

Q:

Since you meet at North Fairfield Baptist Church, do I have to attend this church to join the co-op?

A:

No. We rent the facilities from NFBC and they have generously supported us over the years. Some members do attend NFBC but the majority do not.

Q:

How often does Family Christian Homeschool Co-op meet?

A:

We meet for 26 weeks beginning with the first Friday after Labor Day and ending around Easter week. The 26 weeks is divided into two 13-week semesters. The first semester is in the fall and second semester is in the winter / spring. When one joins the co-op, it is expected that the participation is for both semesters.

Q:

When does Family Christian Homeschool Co-op meet?

A:

We meet on Friday mornings.

Q:

What is the size of the co-op?

A:

There are about 60 families and 140 children involved with the co-op. These figures fluctuate from year to year.

Q:

What ages and grades does your co-op include?

A:

The target grades for our co-op is 1st through 12th grade. We do provide preschool and kindergarten for younger siblings of 1st – 12th grade students.  Our preschool is not a complete program, but meant to be an enrichment environment for the younger siblings.  Typically, kindergarteners would be grouped together with 1st and 2nd graders but for the 2021-2022 school year kindergartners will be in their own group. We do not admit families until the oldest child is in at least 1st grade (age 6).

Q:

Do you provide nursery care?

A:

Yes, we provide nursery care for our teachers, aides and leaders participating in our co-op.

Q:

What are the fees and the tuition and when are they due?

A:

Our annual registration and per semester general tuition fees are charged per family, not per student. Some classes will have additional material cost fees. There is a substantial discount in the per semester fee for members who teach.

Fees for members:

$60 Non-Refundable Annual Registration Fee/Per Family- ALL Families

$70 Per Semester Fee/Teacher Families OR $140 Per Semester Fee/Non-Teacher Families.


Fees for drop-off students: There is a $60 non-refundable registration fee (see above, applies to ALL families), plus $75 per student per class per semester. There may be additional class materials fees. If the class is taught by a paid (non-member) instructor, this fee is in addition to the co-op fees listed above and must be paid directly to the instructor at the beginning of co-op. Classes taught by paid instructors are marked with an asterisk (*) and fees for the class as well as additional class descriptions can be found on our website.

Payment is due the second week of co-op.

Classes

Q:

How many classes does your co-op offer?

A:

For the 2021-2022 school year, we will offer two 55-minute classes.

Q:

How many classes would I enroll my child?

A:

Families enroll their children in all two hours of classes. The only exception is for high school students who are working part time or are taking classes through another program. We encourage high school students who opt out of a class session to volunteer during that hour in another classroom.

Q:

Are classes offered by grade or are they grouped together?

A:

Classes are grouped by grade: Preschool, K-2nd, 3rd – 5th, 6th – 8th and 9th – 12th. For the 2021-2022 school year, kindergartners will be in their own group.

Q:

Is any outside work required of the students?

A:

Outside work is occasionally expected by the students, but it is minimal.  For the junior high and high school level, we do offer classes that require students to study a certain curriculum at home (e.g. Biology, Spanish).

Q:

What type of classes are available and are they the same every year?

A:

Classes are chosen based on interest and also a parent willing to teach the class. Some classes are offered multiple years due to high interest and sometimes the interest for a specific class is only for one year. Past interest have included PE, biology, history, speech, art, Spanish, sign language, writing, photography, drama, musical theater, chemistry, physical science, choir, home economics, etc. Most classes are supplemental to your homeschooling which means you don't have to change your curriculum to participate. Classes last throughout the school year but occasionally some classes only last one semester. Students in the K-2nd grades will rotate classes from one semester to the next.

Q:

Do you offer high school classes or transcripts?

A:

Yes, we offer classes in core subjects which are graded by the teacher for high school credit; however, the final grade is the responsibility of the parent. Additionally, we do not provide high school transcripts.

Parent Responsibilities

Q:

May I drop off my child or am I required to stay?

A:

No, we are not a drop-off program.  We ask that you stay all class hours and help for those hours as an aide (helper) or as a teacher.

Q:

What are the expectations of a parent during the time co-op meets?

A:

An adult representative (usually the parent) is required to teach or aide while at co-op.

Q:

Will I have to teach a class?

A:

We are a cooperative working together for a shared purpose which is teaching classes to our children. The co-op relies on their members to teach classes and could not function without them. We only accept members who are willing to teach but this doesn’t mean they are required to teach every year. We respect that some families need a year off from teaching or are new to the co-op and will need a time to adjust and get familiar with our environment.

Q:

Do parents have other responsibilities in addition to teaching and helping in classes?

A:

Yes, parents help with cleaning up the facility at the end of the day. Many hands make light work! There are also various volunteer positions that help make FCHC run smoothly.

Additional Questions

Q:

Are Peanuts or nuts allowed at the FCHC?

A:

In order to protect some children who are allergic to peanuts or nuts, FCHC is a peanut free and a nut free facility.  We realize that peanut butter is a staple for some families, but as you are probably aware, peanut allergies are wide-spread.  We expect parents to bring peanut-free and nut-free options to protect our students who are allergic.  Thank you!

Q:

I heard you have a long wait list?

A:

We have a waiting list especially for those with younger children (preschool – 2nd grade). New members are admitted when space becomes available. We do not admit families until oldest child is in at least 1st grade (age 6). Families with older children typically have an easer time getting into our co-op even though a family with nursery or preschool age children completed an application first.

Q:

I am interested in possibly joining Family Christian Homeschool Co-op. What do I do next?

A:

Awesome! We are glad you are interested in joining our co-op. Before proceeding, please read both the Statement of Faith and the Policy Manual. Links are found in the left navigation bar under "About Us" and "Co-op Info". Once you have agreed to the Statement of Faith and have a good understanding of our policies, please click on the link called FCHC Interest/Wait List Request Form. This link can be found in the left navigation bar. We appreciate your willingness to share personal information which will help us determine how or when to fit your family into our co-op.