Exceptional Children (EC)
Child Find Process
What is Project Child Find?
Child Find is a requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that mandates States to locate, identify, and evaluate all children with disabilities from birth to age 21 and who are in need of special education and related services. Each State must offer Early Intervention Services for infants and toddlers with disabilities AND the provisions of a Free, Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to children ages 3 to 21 determined eligible for special education and related services.
Who Are the Children?
Child Find applies to children with behavioral, developmental, physical, cognitive, emotional, learning disabilities (including dyslexia and dyscalculia), speech/language, and multiple disabilities, including children with vision, hearing, and medical impairments.
Rockingham County Schools employees and staff are responsible for ensuring that the district identifies, locates, and evaluates all children residing in our district with disabilities who may be in need of special education and related services.
This includes all children ages 3 to 21 who:
Infants, toddlers, and young children who are not yet school-aged.
Enrolled in charter or traditional public schools
Enrolled in private and home schools
Advancing from grade to grade
Highly mobile, such as migrant and/or homeless students
In foster care, unaccompanied youth or wards of the state
English learners
Living in nursing homes or correctional facilities
What Does Child Find Require?
The Child Find program requires a partnership among early intervention providers, public schools, the medical community and other agencies providing services to children. These agencies include health departments, social service agencies, area services for the blind and deaf, childcare programs, developmental day centers, Head Start programs and private schools. Major components of this effort include a public awareness program, a central directory of resources, and a comprehensive child find system.
What Help is Available?
A complete evaluation and, if appropriate,
An Individualized Education Program for children with a disability beginning at age three,
An Individual Family Service Plan for each child with a disability birth through 2, or
A referral to other agencies when needed.
Who Can Make a Referral?
When a member of the school staff or a parent suspects that a child has a disability, they shall submit a written referral for evaluations to the principal of the school, the child’s teacher or other school professional.
How Can I Help?
If you know of a child or youth with disabilities who is not in school or receiving special assistance, you can help by:
Giving a copy of this brochure to the parents or guardians of the child,
Encouraging the parent/guardian to contact the child’s teacher, principal, the district’s exceptional, or the Exceptional Children Division of the Department of Public Instruction, and
Lending support to the child and his/her parents/ guardians until the referral is completed.
Why Should I Help?
A free appropriate public education is the right of every child with a disability, age 3 through 21.
The law provides for early intervention services for children with a disability, birth through two years of age.
Parents of children and youth with disabilities need your support and assistance.
Your local school system and the Exceptional Children Division need your help in locating these children.
Without your help, children with disabilities may not be found.
Parent Rights & Responsibilities in Special Education:
NC Notice of Procedural Safeguards
This handbook is designed to support families with the understanding of the rights and responsibilities specific to the special education process. Acronyms and terms often used in special education and resources can be found in the appendices.