D.C. Area Preschool Homeschoolers (DCAPH, or "decaf") offers community and support for homeschooling parents of children ages birth to six who are willing to commute to activities inside and slightly outside the Beltway. We hold playgroups and sponsor field trips to museums, as well as other activities. While some members live farther afield, most activities and playgroups are held in Washington, DC and suburbs inside the beltway.

While most of us consider ourselves relaxed or eclectic homeschoolers, or even unschoolers (that is, doing little about schooling except taking life as it comes while providing exciting educational opportunities), some do use a curriculum. One brief warning: this group does not have a strong religious base, and few of us follow a strict curriculum. If those are vital components for you, this is probably not a group that will meet your needs.

We are not a typical Yahoo group where you can join just to read e-mails -- we're a group of friends who use Yahoo to communicate. Our intent is to remain a close-knit group of active members. We cheerfully welcome new families, but we do insist on active participation. If you're just looking for a resource site and you're not wanting to be part of a community, both online and in person, PLEASE DON'T JOIN OUR GROUP. If you do want to join, be prepared to fill out a questionnaire you'll receive via e-mail, so we can introduce you to the group and give you a formal welcome! The questionnaire is mandatory, for members' safety and for the sake of friendliness.

Our present moderators are Joe, who lives in suburban Maryland with his three young children, and Marni, who lives in Alexandria with her two children.