In the middle 1990s, the Maryland Association of Christian Home Educators (MACHE) wanted to expand its activities beyond Pastor Gary Cox's original scope of legislative oversight. To accommodate this, he resigned as president of MACHE and formulated Family Heritage Matters as the WCFS legislative liaison.

FHM exists to answer the Biblical call to defend the family from any onslaught against the sole authority and right of parent to direct their children's education and instruction according to the dictates of their own faith and conscience. 

"Be it therefore...enacted...that no person or persons whatsoever within this province...professing to belive in Jesus Christ shall henceforth be any ways toubled, molested (or disapproved of) in respect of his or her religion nor in the free exercise thereof..."

The Maryland Toleration Act, April 21, 1649

FHM monitors Legislation from the Maryland General Assembly in Annapolis; over the past 35 years, we have monitored over 100,000 bills (MD Senate and House Bills).

FHM monitors Maryland Administrative Regulations, which have the force of law. These are pulished monthly and if adopted become part of the COMAR (Code of Maryland Regulations).

FHM also tracks state court cases which may have an impact on home education in Maryland. 

Through written and in person communication, FHM counsels legislators and government officials concerning issues affecting Maryland families, churches and private schools. 

Since Pastor Gary Cox began advocating for Maryland families in Annapolis in the 1980s, FHM has maintained positive, working relationships with Maryland legislators and officials. Gary has frequently been invited by the Maryland State Department of Education as a stake holder to provide input on home education regulations. 

In a cooperative venture with WCFS, a Maryland-based homeschool academy, FHM oversees legislative internships for junior and senior high school students. We also hold an annual student legislative day in Annapolis which includes tours of the Capitol, stetting in on committee meetings, and reviewing bills. 

FHM provides general and specific information regarding Maryland homeschool legal freedoms through the periodic updates via email and social media. FHM liaisons in the mission with Maryland Association of Christian Home Educators, and Home School Legal Defense Association. (HSLDA)

FHM staff seek to honor the command of 1 Timothy 2:1 "to pray for kings and all who are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life."

The Maryland Board of Education backed away from challenging the FHM founder and Superintendent of Wellspring Christian Family Schools for his homeschool program and instead uses it as a prototype for Maryland law and COMAR regulation regarding home instruction. 

FHM succesfully amended the "mandatory kindergaten for 5 year olds" to allow parents to "opt out" their children.

FHM fought attempts by Maryland Child Care Administration to outlaw corporal punishment on private school grounds. 

FHM stopped legislation to increase restrictions over homeschooling.

We defeated legislation to raise the compulsory school age from 16 to 18, thus securing early graduation rights for homeschool students under 18. 

We assisted in defeating Bill Clinton's Federal Testing initiative. 

We helped gather 57,000 signatures to stop the anti-family "Anti-Discrimination Act"

We aided in the defeat of legislation which would establish "sexual orientation" as a religious belief-type and put a person in jail for up to 3 years for "forceful intimidation" of homosexuals inside a church building.

FHM helped to defeat HB 1798, legislation that would have mandated home visits for Maryland homeschooling families.