Delaware EdAccess Portal: Homeschool Registration and Reporting Guide

The EdAccess portal is how Delaware families tell the Department of Education they're homeschooling. Get the sequence right and you have legal protection from the day your child leaves public school. Get it wrong — particularly the order of operations — and you risk a truancy flag even if your intent to homeschool is genuine.

What 14 Del. Code §2703A Actually Says

Delaware's home instruction statute sits in Title 14, Section 2703A. It establishes three pathways for parents who want to educate their children outside the public school system:

Single-family home instruction: One household educates their own children. The parent or guardian registers in EdAccess and receives an Acknowledgment Letter from the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE). That letter is the formal recognition of homeschool status.

Multi-family home instruction: Two or more families pool their children under a shared educational program. The families designate one household as the "liaison" who handles all EdAccess reporting on behalf of the group. The liaison registers the group and receives the Acknowledgment Letter.

District-coordinated home instruction: A pathway where the local school district provides oversight and support. This option has been largely discontinued in practice — very few districts actively offer it, and most Delaware families who want district services (such as access to special education under Senate Bill 106) negotiate those separately rather than through this pathway.

Delaware's compulsory education law covers children ages 5–16. Once a child turns 5, they are subject to compulsory attendance unless they are registered in an approved alternative — including homeschool through EdAccess.

The EdAccess Registration Calendar

The EdAccess system runs on a strict annual calendar:

• Enrollment registration window: August 12 – September 30
• System blackout: August 1–11 (portal is closed, no submissions accepted)
• Attendance reporting window: June 3 – July 31 (for the preceding school year)

If you are starting homeschool mid-year — not at the start of the school year — contact the DDOE directly. Mid-year registration processes exist but are handled outside the standard enrollment window and typically require direct communication with the department.

The Acknowledgment Letter: Do This Before Withdrawing

The most critical procedural point for Delaware homeschool families is the order of operations:

1. Register in EdAccess (or join an existing multi-family group)
2. Receive the Acknowledgment Letter from DDOE
3. Then withdraw your child from public school

Families who reverse steps 2 and 3 — who pull their child from school before the EdAccess registration is processed — are technically not covered under homeschool status at the moment of withdrawal. School districts occasionally flag these situations as unexcused absences or refer them to the district's truancy office, even when the family is acting in good faith. The Acknowledgment Letter is your documentation that the homeschool registration is on file.

Processing time is typically a few business days once you submit, but during the August 12–September 30 peak window, volume is higher and delays can occur. If you're withdrawing at the start of the school year, file EdAccess registration as early as the window opens.

What EdAccess Actually Collects

At enrollment (August 12–September 30): Basic student information, grade level, the designated liaison for multi-family groups, and confirmation that the family is assuming responsibility for instruction.

At attendance reporting (June 3–July 31): The number of days the student received instruction during the school year. Delaware does not require a specific minimum number of instructional days for homeschoolers — the attendance report is informational rather than a threshold test. There is no portfolio review, no standardized testing, and no curriculum approval required.

What EdAccess does not collect: transcripts, grades, curriculum materials, assessments, or lesson plans. Delaware's reporting requirements are among the lightest in any state.

Multi-Family Homeschool: The Liaison Role

In a multi-family group, the liaison bears administrative responsibility for the whole group. This includes:

• Completing EdAccess enrollment registration for all students in the group
• Submitting attendance records at year-end for all students
• Being the DDOE's point of contact if any questions arise about the group's enrollment

Being a liaison is not a teaching certification or a professional credential — it is simply the administrative contact role. Any adult in the group can serve as liaison, and the role can rotate year to year.

For microschool and learning pod operators, the multi-family pathway means the pod operator (or a designated parent) serves as liaison, and all pod families are registered under that single umbrella rather than filing individually. This reduces the per-family administrative burden and creates a single EdAccess record for the group.

Delaware Nonpublic School Registration: The Alternative Path

Families and operators who want to operate a more formal school — rather than a homeschool group — can register as a nonpublic school with the DDOE. This is a separate process from EdAccess and applies to private schools that charge tuition, employ teachers, and operate as independent educational institutions.

Delaware's nonpublic school registration requirements are relatively light compared to many states:

• No state accreditation requirement for nonpublic schools
• Annual enrollment reports to DDOE
• Compliance with health and safety requirements
• No curriculum approval process

Nonpublic school status makes sense for operators who are hiring staff, want to issue official diplomas, or expect to grow beyond the informal multi-family homeschool model. For a small paid pod or microschool, the multi-family homeschool pathway is typically sufficient until enrollment reaches 15+ students.

Delaware private school registration is handled through the DDOE's School Support Office. The process involves submitting an application, providing basic school information, and meeting minimum health and safety standards. There is no approval timeline guarantee, but most straightforward applications are processed within a few weeks.

Delaware Home Education Association and Other Resources

The Delaware Home Education Association (DHEA) is the state's primary homeschool advocacy organization. It connects families across all three counties, offers guidance on EdAccess registration, and provides community resources for new homeschoolers. Membership is voluntary and not required for EdAccess registration.

DHEA publishes a guide to Delaware homeschool law that walks through the EdAccess process and is updated when state procedures change. For families navigating the multi-family pathway or joining a pod, DHEA's network is a practical resource for finding other homeschool families in your county.

The Tri-State Homeschool Network serves the Wilmington/Delaware Valley area and includes 400+ families, though it operates from an explicitly Christian perspective.

County-level Facebook groups for Delaware homeschoolers are active and often provide the fastest answers to practical EdAccess questions from families who have recently completed the process.

Common EdAccess Questions

Can I register mid-year? Yes, but contact DDOE directly. The standard August–September window is for school-year start registrations.

What if my school district pushes back on my withdrawal? Present your Acknowledgment Letter. Under §2703A, a valid EdAccess registration legally satisfies the compulsory attendance requirement. Districts do not have authority to override it.

Does the state check on what we're teaching? No. Delaware does not conduct home visits, curriculum reviews, or progress assessments for homeschool families. The attendance report at year-end is informational.

Can my homeschooled child access public school services? Under Senate Bill 106 (2021), homeschooled students may access special education services through their local public school. Contact your district's special education office to arrange a meeting and develop an IEP or service plan.

What happens if I miss the enrollment window? You are technically not covered under the homeschool statute until you register. Mid-year registration is possible but requires direct coordination with DDOE. Do not let your child be absent from school during any gap between withdrawal and EdAccess registration.

For families setting up a multi-family pod or microschool, the administrative piece — EdAccess registration, the Acknowledgment Letter sequence, parent agreements, and the liaison role — is covered in detail in the Delaware Micro-School & Pod Kit. It walks through the process step by step so you can complete it without a lawyer reviewing every form.

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