What Is Child Find?
Child Find is a continuous process of public awareness activities, screening and evaluation designed to locate, identify, and refer as early as possible all
young children with disabilities and their families who are in need of
Early Intervention Program (Part C) or Preschool Special Education (Part
B/619) services of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
To receive Early Intervention Program or
Special Education, children must meet eligibility guidelines according
to the IDEA. States have different eligibility guidelines for their
Early Intervention Program and Special Education services. In addition
to children with disabilities, some states have elected to provide early
intervention services for infants and toddlers who are at risk of
developmental delay and their families. For information on the
definition of disability under IDEA and eligibility criteria for early
intervention in your state, contact your state's Part C coordinator at http://www.nectac.org/contact/Ptccoord.asp
IDEA requires all states to have a
"comprehensive Child Find system" to assure that all children who are in
need of early intervention or special education services are located,
identified, and referred. The lead agency for Part C of IDEA Early
Intervention Program and for Part B/619 (serving preschoolers with
special educational needs) in each state is responsible for planning and
implement a comprehensive child find system. In some states, the lead
agency for these two programs is one and the same, while in others,
different agencies oversee the two programs.