About Us

 Legislative & Public Policy Coordinator

For Private Christian Home Education in California

PURPOSE: Defending the freedom of parents to train, educate and care for their children privately, without governmental interference.

Working to detect, analyze, monitor, and intervene in all legislation affecting the legality of private home education in California since 1986.

HISTORY: In 1986, the Christian Home Educators Association of California (CHEA); attorney Michael Smith, now President Emeritus of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA); and others determined that California needed a full-time person to assure that state laws protect the God-given and constitutional rights of parents to direct the education and care of their children. CHEA, HSLDA, and others asked Roy Hanson to serve full time in this capacity in California. Roy established Family Protection Ministries (FPM) in 1986 to accomplish this mission and served as the full-time Executive Director. Roy (now retired) was joined by Jim Davis (now retired) in 1994 and Nathan Pierce in 2002. Today, FPM continues to address legislation that would impact homeschooling and families under the leadership of Nathan Pierce.

WORK: Each year, new bills threatening private home education, private schools, and parental rights are introduced. FPM’s strategic leadership has been vital to stopping or amending dozens of damaging bills. Some of the dangerous proposals that have been stopped include: criminalizing homeschooling, defining educational neglect and truancy as child abuse (which could have been used against homeschoolers), statewide daytime curfews, mandatory government home visits of all infants and toddlers, and mandatory psychiatric examinations for all citizens every three years. The efforts of FPM have also been critical in passing positive legislation protecting parental rights (for example, excluding spankings in the definition of child abuse, reducing the absolute immunity of social workers in order to protect innocent parents from false accusations of child abuse, and requiring CPS social workers performing an investigation of suspected child abuse or neglect to advise the individual of the allegations against him).

DUTIES:
1. Acting as a central clearinghouse for information on California state legal/legislative status and action

2. Analyzing every bill introduced in the legislature and tracking dozens of state (and federal) legislative proposals each year (They are hard to spot and are changed rapidly and often secretively.)

3. Advocacy in support, opposition or modification of specific legislation

4. Sending regular Legislative Updates & Alerts for supporters and homeschool leaders both by mail and email

5. Writing position papers based on sound legal research and a Biblical worldview

6. Building positive relationships with legislators and education officials

7. Liaison to CHEA, HSLDA, and other homeschool groups, private school organizations and parental rights groups

8. Serving the Lord Jesus Christ and glorifying Him by serving you and others.

COORDINATION: Family Protection Ministries (FPM) is critical in coordinating with other groups all across the state and nation to assure a united approach to legislation affecting parental rights, religious freedoms, and private home education. A premature or wrong approach in the legislative arena, by even a single well-meaning person or group, could make life very difficult for most of us.

BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE:

Nathan Pierce – Executive Director

Starting in 2002, Nathan Pierce began working at Family Protection Ministries (FPM) and currently serves as the Executive Director. He has over 20 years of experience doing advocacy work at the State Capitol. His role at FPM includes screening the hundreds of bills that pour into the California Legislature each year, closely watching for any that could harm our freedoms as parents, and alerting parents to contact their legislators. He works behind the scenes at the State Capitol, meeting with legislators and staff as well as testifying in committees to advocate on behalf of homeschoolers. Nathan values the importance of evaluating all things from an intentionally biblical worldview and works every day to maintain our freedom to do so.

Nathan was homeschooled through high school and received a B.A. in Political Studies from The Master’s College. Nathan and his wife Betsy were married in 2004 and homeschool their 8 children. In 2018, Nathan received the Chris Klicka award for legislative work from HSLDA. 

Roy Hanson – Founder Emeritus

Roy (now retired) and his wife Debra were married in 1972.  They educated their children at home through high school.  Roy holds a master’s degree in public policy and has many years of experience in legislative analysis and action.  Before working in behalf of California homeschoolers full time, he was the Director of the Public Policy Resource Center in Southern California (‘81-‘86). Prior to that, Roy served on the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin (‘77 to ‘81). Roy founded FPM in 1986.

MINISTRY SUPPORT:
Family Protection Ministries (FPM) is the only full-time organization working in the state capitol monitoring all legislative and administrative actions and advocating in behalf of private home educators and parents.  FPM is totally dependent upon home educators’ regular financial support for 100% of salary and expense needs.  In order to continue to serve you by defending the educational and parental freedoms of home educators, FPM needs your financial support.  This ministry has a critical need for additional monthly support for salary and ministry/office operating expenses.

YOUR CHALLENGE:
Our basic freedoms are at great risk. We need to find families, homeschool groups, private school satellite programs, and churches that will commit to giving $20, $50, $100, or more each month toward the support of this one-of-a-kind ministry.

If you can help, your tax-deductible gift should be made payable to Family Protection Ministries (or FPM) and sent directly to the address below, or online at our donation page. We cannot do this tremendous job alone. This ministry is 100% faith supported. Please be a part of our team. Your help is needed now!

Donations by check should be made payable to:

Family Protection Ministries
P.O. Box 730
Lincoln, CA 95648

Family Protection Ministries is a part of New Century Educators (NCE) – a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The tax ID number for NCE is 330877863.

HOW TO RECEIVE EMAIL ALERTS AND NEWSLETTERS FROM FAMILY PROTECTION MINISTRIES

Family Protection Ministries’ Legal/Legislative Update Newsletter and Email Alerts provide firsthand reports of any changes in the law and legal threats to home education in California. FPM is the only full-time organization based in the Sacramento area monitoring and advocating in regard to all legislative and administrative actions that directly affect California private home educators. FPM is 100% funded by donations from supporters of private/home education and parental rights.

(1) We send our Email Alerts to individuals who are interested in our ministry and getting involved when we have Action Alerts. You can sign up for our emails at www.fpmca.org/contactus.

(2) Homeschooling Leaders or Pastors who want to receive our Email Alerts as well as our Newsletters may go to our website and fill out the Leadership Sign-up Form.

(3) Our printed newsletters are available on a complimentary basis by contributing at least $5 each calendar year through our website at www.fpmca.org/donate or as a check written out and mailed to “Family Protection Ministries” and sent to the address above. If you contribute $5 or more per calendar year and would like to also receive our Email Alerts, send your name, email, and mailing address to us.