Thank you all for your responses. I appreciate the help.

Your assigned homeschool has to approve and send it in to IIS.

IIS has to be renewed every 6-12 weeks. If you do the mental health form there is a limit to how many times you can renew. Similar on physical but more leeway.

You get up to 6 hours a week of virtual instruction in math and English. Sometimes it’s 1 on 1 or it’s a small group.

If your child has an IEP they are entitled to services through their home school but it’s pretty hard to do in reality.

If you think you will need IIS for more than a few weeks and you don’t need services or to hold a placement, recommend filing the “homeschooling” paperwork to withdraw from MCPS. Get a flexible online virtual program for academics and supplement, as able, with a tutor. You submit the portfolio from the online school to mcps and you are all set. Many online schools get it ready for you.

When your child can return to school then you re-enroll in mcps.

IIS is not a long term solution.

Although it’s true that the school sets up IIS, I found that they were pretty ignorant of the actual day to day.

My best advice is to ask your questions on the special needs board. Although this might not be your situation, a lot of us have gone through the process (myself included).

Your child’s counselor is the first person to talk to. The counselor is the one who would be setting up IIS.

Our family may need to use this program because of an illness, but we're still trying to decide among a few options. Is there a good contact person in IIS who can answer my questions honestly? a point of contact I can request to speak to?

Thank you.