Homeschool Groups in Illinois
Is it legal to homeschool in Illinois?
Is Illinois easy to homeschool in?
Yep! Your homeschool is treated as a private school. In Illinois, your homeschool is treated as a private school. You do not have to register your home-based private school with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), nor are you required to obtain state recognition.
There are only 3 requirements -
- Teach the required subjects. Illinois requires you to provide an "adequate course of instruction" covering language arts, math, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, fine arts, and physical development and health.
- Instruction must be in English. When you teach your child in your homeschool, you must do so in English.
- Know what to call your homeschool. HSLDA recommends that you call your homeschool a private school when dealing with government officials — with one important exception: you should identify your program as a homeschool if filling out a FAFSA for college financial aid.
Things you don't need to worry about: no registration or notification, no standardized testing, no minimum hours or days, and no teacher credentials for parents. That's a very light regulatory footprint compared to many other states.
While Illinois is easy to homeschool in currently, it's worth staying informed about potential state legislative changes.
Illinois Homeschool Groups & Co-ops
Support groups, co-ops, and enrichment programs across the state — updated 2025
Statewide
Faith-based
Catholic
Classical
Secular / Inclusive
📍 Groups Across Illinois
Group locations are listed by region below. For a custom labeled pin map, visit mymaps.google.com to create a free map with pins for each group.
Statewide Online Communities
Illinois Homeschooling
📍 Statewide Facebook Page
A place for homeschoolers statewide to find support and resources, co-ops, field trips, and legislative updates. Over 11,000 members.
Homeschool Resources Illinois
📍 Statewide Facebook Group
A Facebook group for sharing homeschool resources, curriculum, events, and support across Illinois.
Illinois Homeschooling Families
📍 Statewide Facebook Group
A large statewide community for Illinois homeschooling families to connect, share ideas, and find local resources.
Illinois Loves Homeschooling
📍 Statewide Facebook Group
A supportive statewide Facebook community for Illinois homeschool families of all backgrounds and approaches.
Chicago & Northern Suburbs
CHAMPS Homeschool Co-op
📍 Rolling Meadows
Christian arts and music co-op meeting every Monday at Cardinal Drive Church of Christ. Classes in arts, music, drama, and more for all ages. Open registration each spring.
Christian Home Educators Support System – Chicago (CHESS)
📍 Chicago / South Suburbs (Markham)
Empowering parents to take the lead in their children's education. Meets at Spirit of Liberty Church of God in Markham, serving Chicago, Crete, Markham, and Joliet.
CHIPS Illinois
📍 Chicagoland
Chicagoland Homeschoolers Inclusive Play & Support — secular, welcoming all approaches including unschooling, Montessori, and Waldorf. Focused on social interaction and creative play.
Northside Unschoolers Group (NUG)
📍 Chicago (Northside)
A support group for homeschooling families practicing child-led learning on Chicago's north side.
Near West Homeschoolers Community Co-op
📍 Chicago (Near West Side)
A community co-op for homeschooling families on Chicago's near west side offering community support and shared learning opportunities.
Grassroots Homeschoolers
📍 Matteson (South Suburbs)
Founded in 1982, one of Illinois's oldest homeschool groups. Meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesday each month, 11:30–2:30 at St. Paul's in Matteson.
Greenhouse Homeschool Community
📍 Matteson / South Chicagoland
Serves south Chicagoland suburbs including Frankfort, Matteson, Tinley Park, Mokena, Richton Park, Olympia Fields, and Flossmoor. Park days, mom's groups, and more.
Greenhouse Christian Co-School
📍 Wheaton (DuPage County)
Serves families in DuPage, Cook, Kane, Kendall, DeKalb, and Will counties. Meets at 422 North Prospect Street, Wheaton.
Eastern DuPage for Godly Education (E.D.G.E.)
📍 Wheaton (DuPage County)
Meets Fridays 9:30am–2:40pm at Vineyard Church in Wheaton. Serves DuPage, Cook, and Kane counties.
Thrive Homeschool Co-op
📍 Lombard
Brings active, likeminded homeschool families together weekly for enrichment workshops, educational classes, field trips, events, and social opportunities.
Teaching Homes for Christ
📍 West Chicago
A low-cost Christian support group and collection of families who homeschool and share their love of Jesus Christ. Encouragement and resources for Christian home educators.
Trinity Homeschool Group
📍 West & Southwest Suburbs of Chicago
A Catholic homeschool group supporting families throughout the west and southwest suburbs of Chicago with events, field trips, and community.
Our Lady Queen of Peace Homeschool Group
📍 Northwest Suburbs of Chicago
A Catholic homeschool support community fostering friendship through social, educational, and spiritual events and field trips led by group volunteers.
HEART Homeschool Group
📍 Bolingbrook
A Christian homeschool support group in the Bolingbrook area offering community, encouragement, and shared activities.
Homeschool Resource Center
📍 Monee
Provides information, advice, encouragement, fellowship, and resources to Christian homeschooling families. Conducts monthly meetings and supports the broader community.
Northern Suburbs — Lake, McHenry & Kane Counties
North Shore Homeschool Group
📍 Glenview & surrounding areas
An in-person secular social community for homeschoolers providing resources, support, and connections to neighbors through social opportunities.
Lake County Homeschoolers
📍 Lake County
A Facebook community connecting homeschool families across Lake County for events, resources, and support.
Schaumburg H.O.U.S.E.
📍 Schaumburg / NW Suburbs
A large, non-sectarian group supporting all educational philosophies in the Schaumburg, Elgin, Streamwood, Wheaton, and Bartlett area. Monthly socials, holiday parties, classes, field trips, and teen/tween events.
Grace Community Home School Co-op
📍 Crystal Lake (McHenry County)
Meets Thursdays 9:30am–2:00pm at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Crystal Lake. Serves McHenry and Lake counties.
Hilltop Christian Community
📍 Crystal Lake
A hybrid homeschool cooperative emphasizing fellowship, discipleship, and support through morning cooperative enrichment classes.
CHARIS Co-op
📍 Sugar Grove (Kane County)
Christian Homeschool Advocacy, Resources, Inspiration & Support. Meets Wednesdays at Village Bible Church in Sugar Grove, serving Kane County families.
Barrington Area Homeschoolers
📍 Barrington (Lake, McHenry, Kane)
Serves northwest suburban counties with community events, support, and co-op opportunities for homeschooling families across Lake, McHenry, and Kane counties.
Classical Consortium Academy
📍 Barrington
Provides a distinctive classical education experience for homeschooled students in Northern Illinois, offering rigorous academic courses in a community setting.
Saint Scholastica Home School Group (SOSS)
📍 Lake & McHenry Counties / Southern WI
Established in 1985, a vibrant Catholic homeschool group with 50–70 families. Committees provide activities and events throughout the school year.
Splendor of Truth Catholic Home Educators (SOTCHE)
📍 SE Wisconsin / NE Illinois border
A group of Catholic homeschooling families spanning the Illinois/Wisconsin border in the southeastern WI and northeastern IL area.
Naperville Area Homeschooling Tweens/Teens
📍 Naperville
A Facebook group specifically for homeschooled tweens and teens in the Naperville area, connecting older students for activities, events, and community.
Northern Illinois — Rockford, DeKalb & Freeport Area
Hallstrom Homeschool Workshops
📍 Rockford (serves N. IL & S. Wisconsin)
A Christian co-op meeting Tuesdays at Crosspoint Church in Rockford. Nearly 100 classes for Pre-K through 12th grade, high school credits, sports (F.I.R.E. basketball & volleyball), student council, performing arts, and academic competitions.
I-HOPE
📍 Rockford
Illinois Homeschoolers for Open Peaceful Education — provides supplemental classes and enrichment activities for Rockford-area families. Secular and welcoming to all approaches.
Christian Home Educators of Rockford
📍 Rockford
A support group for Christian homeschool families with a lending library, monthly newsletter, and regular meetings.
Greater Rochelle Area Christian Educators (G.R.A.C.E.)
📍 Rochelle & surrounding area
Established in 2003. Members work together to provide Christian-focused, fun educational days for students once a week.
Northern Illinois Christian Home Educators (NICHE)
📍 Freeport
A member-led homeschool parent support group and co-op providing support, encouragement, and prayer. "Come find your NICHE with us!"
DeKalb County Home Educators
📍 DeKalb
A secular homeschool group in DeKalb County offering a wide variety of events and meetups for homeschoolers of all ages.
Sauk Valley Christian Home Educators
📍 Rock Falls (Sauk Valley)
About 50 Christian homeschooling families from the Sauk Valley area meeting regularly throughout the school year on Fridays for shared learning and fellowship.
Horizon Home Educators Co-op
📍 Northern Illinois
A homeschool co-op in northern Illinois connecting families for shared educational and community experiences.
Highland Homeschoolers
📍 Northern Illinois
A Facebook community for homeschooling families in the Highland area of northern Illinois.
Central Illinois
Heart of Illinois Homeschool Co-op
📍 El Paso (serves Bloomington-Normal area)
Non-denominational Christian co-op meeting Tuesdays at Community Bible Fellowship. Enrichment classes in core subjects, community service, and faith-centered fellowship for Central IL families.
CAHSA — Crossroads Area Home School Association
📍 Bloomington-Normal
A communication network for families within ~45 minutes of McLean County. Members share resources, events, curriculum, and prayer requests. Not faith-based.
Christian Homeschool Connection (CHC)
📍 Champaign-Urbana
A network of homeschooling families meeting Thursdays at Stratford Park Bible Chapel. Community and support for Christian families of varying denominations in the Champaign-Urbana area.
Central Illinois Secular Homeschoolers
📍 Central Illinois
A group for secular homeschoolers in Central Illinois — free from religious doctrines and ideologies, connecting families who practice secular home education across the region.
East Central Illinois Home Educator Network (ECIHEN)
📍 East Central Illinois Counties
Provides opportunities for Christian homeschool families seeking support in the home education of their children across east central Illinois counties.
APACHE — Peoria Area Christian Home Educators
📍 Peoria
Serving Peoria-area Christian families with a monthly newsletter, annual convention, used curriculum fair, and a threefold mission: education, activities, and service.
Peoria Area Homeschoolers (PAH)
📍 Peoria
Enhancing the home education experience for homeschooling parent/guardians of all backgrounds in the Peoria area. Provides support, play dates, and field trips.
St. Therese Catholic Home Schooling — Peoria
📍 Peoria
A group of Catholic home-schooling families in the Peoria area offering field trips, social activities, classes, and more.
Many Rivers Unschoolers
📍 Plainfield
An all-inclusive, child-led learning group meeting every Wednesday for unstructured play and on other days for special activities. No set curriculum approach.
Kankakee Christian Home Educators (KCHE)
📍 Kankakee County
A support group with many members from Kankakee County and surrounding counties. Meets Thursdays 9:15am–2:30pm at Immanuel Baptist Church in Kankakee.
Heart of Mary Educators
📍 Moline (Quad Cities)
A local group and community of Catholic homeschoolers in the Moline, Illinois area.
QCA Secular Homeschool Group
📍 Quad Cities Area
A secular homeschool group serving the Quad Cities area on both the Illinois and Iowa sides of the Mississippi River.
Southern Illinois
SCCCHE — St. Clair County Christian Home Educators
📍 Belleville
A full-service enrichment group with a co-op, music and drama groups, field trips, and monthly meetings for Christian families throughout the St. Clair County area.
Metro East Catholic Home Educators (MECHE)
📍 Metro East (Belleville area)
A Catholic homeschool support group serving the Metro East region of Southern Illinois near St. Louis.
Catholic Schoolhouse — Southern IL Chapters
📍 Belleville, Quincy, Springfield
Supplemental classical Catholic enrichment program meeting weekly for grades K–8. Combines classical memory work with faith formation in a structured, community setting.
Riverbend Homeschool Co-op
📍 Alton
Meets Fridays 10:00am–2:00pm at Main Street United Methodist Church in Alton, serving the Riverbend area of Southern Illinois.
S.H.A.R.E.
📍 St. Louis City & County (IL & MO)
St. Louis Homeschooling Activities, Resources & Encouragement — a large independent support group for families in the greater St. Louis area, including Southern Illinois.
Young Explorers of Coles County
📍 Coles County
A non-profit, multi-denominational community of Christian homeschool families in Coles County meeting once a week for educational and social opportunities.
🔍 Find even more groups near you:
The ICHE directory at iche.org/groups lists dozens of additional local co-ops statewide, updated regularly. TheHomeSchoolMom's Illinois page at thehomeschoolmom.com lists groups sorted by city. For a comprehensive list, also visit 123homeschool4me.com.
The ICHE directory at iche.org/groups lists dozens of additional local co-ops statewide, updated regularly. TheHomeSchoolMom's Illinois page at thehomeschoolmom.com lists groups sorted by city. For a comprehensive list, also visit 123homeschool4me.com.
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Illinois Homeschool Group Addition / Edit
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Illinois is a terrific place to call home for our homeschooling family, offering an extraordinary classroom that stretches from the shores of Lake Michigan to the rolling prairies that inspired Abraham Lincoln himself. History comes alive when we visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, where my kids walk through immersive exhibits that make the Civil War era feel immediate and real. Chicago opens up a world of cultural enrichment for us, from the hands-on wonder of the Museum of Science and Industry — one of the largest science museums in the Western Hemisphere — to the awe-inspiring collections at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Field Museum of Natural History. We love hiking the breathtaking canyons and waterfalls at Starved Rock State Park, and visiting Cahokia Mounds, the UNESCO World Heritage Site that brings to life the story of one of North America's greatest pre-Columbian civilizations, never gets old. The flexibility of homeschooling means we can time our visits to Galena's charming historic district, take in the natural beauty of Shawnee National Forest's Garden of the Gods, or spend an afternoon at a local farmers market learning about agriculture in one of the nation's most productive farming states. With a thriving homeschool community, minimal state regulation that gives our family true freedom over our curriculum, and a state that packs centuries of American history, world-class art, and stunning natural landscapes into one place, I can't imagine a better place to educate my children on our own terms.
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