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CHC is a network of Christian homeschooling families connected to support these families, and to facilitate their support of each other, in their homeschooling.

This support includes information on homeschooling, opportunities to meet with other homeschoolers for social and/or educational events, a marketplace for buying and selling and borrowing homeschool materials, and an open forum for online discussions of homeschool issues.  Veteran homeschoolers are always available to assist new homeschoolers (as well as each other, because we’re all always learning!)

Because the particular events are dependent on volunteers to organize them, what they are varies somewhat from year to year.  Recently they have included:

• pizza picnics in the park
• ice skating for everyone
• auditions for a Shakespeare play
• a field trip to the Spurlock Museum
• a field trip to a planetarium
• performances at the Krannert Center
• Mom's Night Out 
• Family Center

Family Center is a collection of co-op classes that are grouped on Thursday mornings so that children of all ages can have classes simultaneously in one location.  These classes tend to be enrichment/elective classes rather than core academic subjects, but they vary depending on what the parent volunteers who teach them choose to offer each semester.  Each child can take up to three classes per semester.  Recent offerings have included p.e. for various grade levels, crocheting, sewing, chorus, drama, literature studies, art, American Sign Language, high school math help, engineering, insects, rocks and minerals.  For more information on Family Center, see the Family Center tab. 

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HSLDA Discount:

CHC is a Homeschool Legal Defense Association discount group.  Members can receive $15 off their annual HSLDA membership.  

Field Trips:

Participate in field trips others have planned, or plan a field trip yourself and use the CHC calendar and forum to attract a group to it.  If you'd like to plan a field trip but don't know where or how, ask us and we will help you with it.

Group Events:

Ice skating, pizza picnics, drama opportunities, and Rube Goldberg clubs are just a few of our past events that have been planned by our members.

Krannert Tickets:

CHC coordinates the purchasing of low cost tickets for the "school series" at this performing arts center. A wonderful addition to your Fine Arts curriculum.

Family Center: 

This Thursday morning co-op meets once a week for group learning and encompasses three periods a day with multiple class options for all ages each period.   Academic and extracurricular classes are planned and implemented by participating members. Class offerings vary from one semester to another, but recent offerings have included P.E., art, science, book studies, and history classes.  Sessions are around 12 weeks in the fall and 12 weeks in the spring. To participate in Family Center, you must first be a member of CHC and then register separately for Family Center.  For more information, see the separate Family Center listing on the sidebar.

Access to private Forum and Facebook page: 

For members only. This area provides a place for any member to post a notice, to create  group events, find information, borrow materials, sell materials, ask questions, or otherwise communicate with CHC members.  

Classified Section: 

For CHC members only. This provides an outlet for you to sell and buy educational materials and other items for your family.

Beginning of the Year Picnic

To kick off the year we have a picnic in a park.  Meet other homeschool families, re-connect with old friends, find out about opportunities for the coming year.  Don’t miss this event!  For members only.

Mentorship Opportunity:

We have homeschool veterans that are willing to sit and talk either in person or on the phone and share what they’ve learned in years of homeschooling.

Another way in which this mentorship program can work is on the forum. If you are facing a question in your teaching put it on the forum and we will all try and help.

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Christian Homeschool Connection (CHC) is the umbrella organization.  Events and activites such as field trips, ice skating, picnics, etc. are all organized by CHC.  Family Center (FC) is a Thursday morning co-op that is available to CHC members.  Some members of CHC participate in Family Center, while others do not.  However, to participate in FC, a family must first join CHC.  CHC and FC have separate governing boards.  

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The primary expenses covered by the membership fees are the web site, insurance for the group (which protects our hosting church and enables us to host activities on the UI campus), and to subsidize major group activities such as the annual kick-off picnic, the semiannual pizza picnics, and ice skating.

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CHC memberships are valid from July 1st of one year to June 15th of the following year.  June 15 - June 30th is a time of limited access to the website and forum.  

Our early-bird discounted membership rate starts May 1st and families who renew early will enjoy complete and uninterrupted access. On June 15th, members who have not renewed will be parked, which generates a reminder email and limits access to the forum & CHC website.  This gives members who have not yet renewed 2 final weeks to pay membership dues at the discounted rate.  These 2 weeks also ensure that in the event of an error, members will have sufficient time to contact the treasurer and correct the mistake.

On July 1st, members who have not renewed are removed from CHC membership and the website.  Our web platform (Homeschool Life) charges per member and is CHC's largest expense.  This creates the need to remove unpaid members in a timely manner. Families who find themselves removed are always welcome to rejoin CHC by filling out the membership form and paying membership dues at the regular rate.

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Membership dues are not refundable and overpayments of membership dues are considered a donation to CHC. 

Refunds for CHC events are not guaranteed and may be given under certain circumstances and with advance cancellation notice. The CHC treasurer has the right to determine if CHC can issue a refund. 

For field trips, members who cancel their registration before the start of the field trip may be able to receive a refund if CHC did not have to prepay for the field trip. If a field trip is canceled, attendees will be refunded if CHC is refunded by the field trip venue. 

For ticketed events (Krannert Youth Series, Virginia Theater, etc.), refunds can not be given once CHC has paid the theater for the tickets. If you’re unable to use your tickets, consider donating or selling them on the CHC forum or FB page. 

For subsidized events (ice skating, pizza picnic, etc.) where money is collected in advance, refunds can not be given. The expenses of these events exceed the amount collected from participants. 

If you cancel your registration it is your responsibility to request a refund. Refunds will not be automatic unless an event is canceled. If you would like to request a refund, please email our treasurer at chctreasurer5@gmail.com.

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The contact person for all posts must be a CHC member.

CALENDAR - for official CHC events only

FORUM - These threads must be educational and/or homeschool community related.

CLASSIFIEDS - These items are not limited to homeschool items. 

FACEBOOK - 

• The Facebook group is for current CHC members only

• Posts must be educational and/or homeschool community related.

• 1 classified post per day per member; items should be grouped into one post with multiple pictures.

• Fundraising posts are limited to things family/homeschool community related - not for personal gain.

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Check out the website Illinois Christian Home Educators.