Homeschool benefits and savings in Farmington Hills
Farmington Community Library's Homeschool Explorations is a free monthly program for homeschooling families, aimed at grades K-5, with a different topic each session from September through April. The next session is STEAM Day on Friday, November 13, 2026, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m., in the Farmington Hills auditorium; no registration or library card is needed. Other options include recreation and camp discounts and college classes and scholarships.
Benefits in Farmington Hills
- Farmington Community Library Homeschool Explorations
- Oakland County Parks homeschool programs
- Oakland Community College homeschool dual enrollment
Farmington Community Library Homeschool Explorations
Who can come
Homeschools your children
The library runs Homeschool Explorations as a monthly program for homeschooling families.
Brings elementary-age kids
Activities are aimed at elementary-aged children in grades K-5, but all ages are welcome.
Stays with your children
An adult must stay with the children and take part. Drop-offs are not permitted.
What the program gives you
The terms come from Farmington Community Library's event listing for Homeschool Explorations (Grades K-5).
- Cost
- Free
- Session length
- 90 minutes
- Season
- September-April, no December session
- Remaining 2026-27 dates
- Monthly, Nov. 13 to Apr. 9
- Registration
- Not required
- Library card
- Not required
Themes for the 2027 sessions are announced closer to each date, so check the library calendar before you go.
How to join
- Before you go
Check the topic
Look up the session on the library calendar. November 13 is STEAM Day, with science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities.
- 10 days ahead, if needed
Request accommodations
Submit the library's Accessibility Request Form at least 10 days before the event.
- Friday at 1:00 p.m.
Come to the auditorium
Sessions meet in the auditorium at FCL Farmington Hills, 32737 W. 12 Mile Rd., Farmington Hills, MI 48334.
- Each month
Come back for a new topic
The program meets monthly through April, with a break in December.
What it includes
Included
- Hands-on activities on a new topic each month
- Programs for elementary-aged children
- Siblings of other ages
Not included
- Drop-off care
- December sessions
Who to contact about Homeschool Explorations
Melanie Allbery is the library contact for Homeschool Explorations and answers questions about upcoming sessions.
melanie.allbery@farmlib.org 248-848-4305 November 13 session
Oakland County Parks homeschool programs
Who qualifies
Is homeschooled
Oakland County Parks says all homeschooled students are welcome in the series.
Is 6 to 12 years old
Each program is designed for students ages 6-12 and runs as a drop-off and pick-up program.
Registers for the whole series
Preregistration for the entire series is required; you cannot sign up for single weeks.
Has a signed release form
A release form must be completed with registration.
What the series gives you
The terms come from the Oakland County Parks homeschool programs page for the fall 2026 series.
- Cost per child, full series
- $80
- Cost per weekly session
- $10
- Wint Nature Center, Wednesdays
- Oct. 7-Dec. 2, no class Nov. 25
- Red Oaks Nature Center, Thursdays
- Oct. 8-Dec. 3, no class Nov. 26
- Session time
- 2-4 p.m.
The fall series is already under way and enrollment in the whole series is required, so call Programs and Services to ask whether late registration is possible or when winter registration opens.
How to sign up
- Before the series
Pick a nature center
Choose Wint Nature Center on Wednesdays or Red Oaks Nature Center on Thursdays.
- At registration
Register and pay
Register online at any time, call 248-858-0916 during business hours to pay by card, or register in person at either nature center or the parks office at 2800 Watkins Lake Road, Waterford.
- Each week
Drop off for two hours
Programs run rain or shine, partly outdoors. Send closed-toe shoes, clothes that can get messy, and a refillable water bottle.
- Winter and spring
Sign up for the next session
Oakland County Parks plans winter and spring sessions after the fall series ends.
What it includes
Included
- Eight weekly naturalist-led lessons
- A STEM-based project each week
- Inquiry-based nature exploration
Not included
- Single-week drop-ins
- Children younger than 6 or older than 12
- Snacks and outdoor gear
Who to contact about the series
Programs and Services takes registrations and payments by phone and answers questions about the homeschool series.
Info@OaklandCountyParks.com 248-858-0916 Homeschool programs page
Oakland Community College homeschool dual enrollment
Who qualifies
Is in grades 9-12
OCC says homeschooled students are eligible for dual enrollment, and every dual enrollment student must be in 9th through 12th grade.
Has a sponsor or self-pays
Free dual enrollment requires sponsorship and counselor approval from a school district. Michigan's Department of Education says a homeschool student follows the policy of the district they are enrolled under.
Has a parent's authorization
A dual enrollment authorization and FERPA release form is needed every semester. It routes to a parent for self-pay students, and to a parent and then a counselor for sponsored students.
Meets English placement
New students complete English Self-Placement or an allowable exemption before registering for classes.
What it is worth
OCC's 2026-27 rates are $119 per billable contact hour in-district and $224 out-of-district, plus a $110 Student Support Fee each semester.
- One 3-hour class, in-district
- $467
- One 3-hour class, out-of-district
- $782
- Two 3-hour classes, in-district
- $824
- Two 3-hour classes, out-of-district
- $1,454
- Any load with a district sponsor
- $0
Billable contact hours can differ from a course's credit hours, and a sponsor pays only if your student passes, so ask the dual enrollment office for the billable hours of each course before you count the savings.
From applying to keeping it
- Before you apply
Ask about sponsorship
Ask the district your student would be enrolled under whether it will sponsor dual enrollment; otherwise plan to self-pay.
- By March 1 or October 1
Apply online
Submit OCC's free application by March 1 for summer or fall, or by October 1 for winter. You apply once for all of high school.
- Each semester
Submit the authorization form
Complete a new dual enrollment authorization and FERPA release form every semester your student takes classes.
- Before registering
Finish MyOCC steps
Activate MyOCC, then complete the 30-minute New Student Orientation, English Self-Placement, and the Online Learning Readiness Course (DIST 1000).
- Before classes start
Register and buy books
Register through Student Planning in MyOCC and buy books from the OCC Bookstore.
What it pays for
Covered
- Tuition for sponsored students
- Fees for sponsored students
- Books for sponsored students
- Tutoring, advising, and disability accommodations
Not covered
- Tuition and fees for self-pay students
- Sponsored courses your student does not pass
- Students below 9th grade
The free version depends on a school district paying OCC from its dual enrollment funds; homeschool families without a sponsoring district pay OCC's regular tuition.
Who to contact
The dual enrollment office answers questions about sponsorship, the authorization form, and registration; Colleen Jones, K-12 Partnerships and Youth Program Coordinator, takes calls.
secondary@oaklandcc.edu 248-410-4253 Dual enrollment steps
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Michigan
No state report under the parent-led homeschool exemption, MCL 380.1561(3)(f). The nonpublic-school route has separate reporting; an annual membership report is required for eligibility for auxiliary services.
Michigan sets these rules:
- Subjects: Under exemption (f), provide an organized program in reading, spelling, math, science, history, civics, literature, writing, and English grammar. The nonpublic-school route requires subjects comparable to local public schools.
- Testing: Michigan does not require standardized testing for homeschoolers.
- Records: No prescribed homeschool portfolio or attendance-record format under exemption (f). Keep progress records for transfers; the nonpublic-school route has separate reporting requirements.
- Teachers: Under exemption (f), the instructor must be the child’s parent or legal guardian; no degree or teaching credential is required. MDE requires a reporting nonpublic homeschool parent to have at least a bachelor’s degree unless a sincerely held religious objection applies.
Read the Michigan homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Michigan
Questions parents ask
- Is Homeschool Explorations only for homeschoolers?
- Not necessarily. It is planned for homeschooling families with elementary-aged children, but library events are free and open to the public.
- Can I bring my preschooler and my middle schooler to Homeschool Explorations?
- Yes. All ages are welcome, although the activities are planned for grades K-5.
- Do we have to live in Oakland County for the Homeschool Series?
- No residency rule is listed. Oakland County Parks welcomes all homeschooled students ages 6 to 12.
- Can we come to the Homeschool Series only some weeks?
- No. Enrollment in the entire eight-week series is required, at $80 per child.
- Will we pay anything for OCC dual enrollment without a sponsor?
- Yes. Self-pay students pay normal in-district or out-of-district tuition based on where they live, plus the $110 Student Support Fee, and buy their own books.
- How many OCC courses can my student take?
- It depends on the sponsoring district's policy and available funding. Self-pay students should ask the dual enrollment office about course loads.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
Books and library resources give your child something to explore. We turn their interests into coursework, so library discoveries can lead to deeper study at home.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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