Child Find

"Child find" is the affirmative, ongoing obligation of states and local districts to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities residing within the jurisdiction from birth to age 21 who are in need of special education and related services. 34 CFR 300.111 (a)(1)(i).

Under IDEA, MCPS has the responsibility to:

• identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities, regardless of the severity of their disabilities, from birth to age 21:

  • residing in the county, including children who are highly mobile, including migrant children, children who are homeless, or are wards of the state, and children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disability, and who need special education and related services, even though they have not failed or been retained in a course or grade and are advancing from grade to grade; or

  • enrolled by their parents in private schools, including religious, elementary, and secondary schools, located in Montgomery County; and

• provide an offer of FAPE to students with disabilities eligible to receive special education and related services.

MCITP, a division of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), is the local system of early intervention for children ages birth to 34 1/2 months and their families who reside in Montgomery County. If parents/guardians have a concern about their child’s development, the child is referred for evaluation, and if eligible, services are provided through an IFSP. MCITP provides early intervention services to assist families with their efforts to address their children's developmental and special needs. These services are provided in the child's natural environment (home and community settings where a child is during the day). The lead agency, DHHS, completes an intake and refers families to one of five MCITP sites within Montgomery County that provide early intervention services. The contact number for MCITP is 240-777-3997.

The Child Find/Early Childhood Disabilities Unit provides free developmental screenings for preschool-aged children ages 34 1/2 months to kindergarten who reside in the County or nonresident children who attend preschool or child-care programs located in the County. Screenings are typically conducted at a Child Find clinic. The purpose of the screenings is to identify and assess children with possible developmental delays or educational disabilities that may impact their learning. Vision and hearing screenings also are provided at the Child Find clinics.

Prior to the screening, parents/guardians complete a Child Find questionnaire and provide a copy of the child’s birth certificate, parental photo identification, and residency information. In addition to the Child Find Questionnaire, the preschool referral packet also includes MCPS Form 272-1, Prekindergarten Teacher Questionnaire, for children attending preschool or childcare, and MCPS Form 560-24, New Student Information. If a child has existing evaluations, parents/guardians may submit the evaluations to be reviewed by the Child Find/Early Childhood Disabilities Unit prior to the screening.

The Child Find/Early Childhood Disabilities Unit also is the single point of entry for families moving into Montgomery County whose preschool-aged child was previously identified with a disability.

In the spring of each year, a date is determined and published after which the screening and evaluation process for children who will enroll in kindergarten the following fall are conducted at the child’s home school rather than by the Child Find/Early Childhood Disabilities Unit.

Child Find staff members annually conduct outreach activities to inform community preschools, child-care centers, and the general public about the Child Find process. Information regarding referral, screening, other services, and contact information is included in brochures sent to private preschools and child-care providers, pediatricians, and other community resources.

Child Find forms are available in English and Spanish.

Students who are going through the Child Find process must be initially enrolled in MCPS through the Child Find Office. For more information, parents/guardians should contact the Child Find/Early Childhood Disabilities Unit at 240-740-2170 or call the 24-hour referral line at 301-947-6080 to leave contact information.

Child Find for children enrolled in MCPS consists of the referral procedures described in the Initial Evaluation and Eligibility section of this handbook. Students who are going through the Child Find process must be initially enrolled in MCPS through the Child Find Office or enrolled in the home school in which the student is eligible to attend.

Students who attend private/religious schools located in Montgomery County or who are homeschooled Montgomery County residents are entitled to be evaluated to determine eligibility for special education and related services. To initiate the Child Find process, parents/guardians should contact the MCPS Private/Parochial office to request a referral packet. An IEP meeting will be convened and the team will determine if there is sufficient information or if assessments need to be conducted to determine special education eligibility.

If a student is found eligible for special education and/or related services, an IEP shall be drafted and an IEP team meeting will be convened to review the draft with the parent/guardian. This initial IEP is MCPS's offer to provide FAPE for the student if the student enrolls in MCPS.

If a parent/guardian opts to continue enrollment in a private/religious school, the student may be eligible for a Service Plan. Service Plans offer limited resources to qualified students who are eligible for special education and related services but are not enrolled in MCPS.

Parentally Placed Private/Parochial School Students

If a student is a Montgomery County resident and is found eligible for special education and services, the MCPS school IEP team conducting the evaluation must present a draft IEP to the parent/guardian. At this point, the parent/guardian may decide to enroll their student to receive comprehensive IEP services or may decide to continue with the private/parochial school enrollment. If the parent/guardian decides to continue with the private/parochial school enrollment, the student will be offered a limited service plan based on the IEP. Service plan services are offered at the student's home school. The Service Plans Directions document provides parents/guardians with additional information on the process and requirements for the development and implementation of Service Plans.

If a student is not a Montgomery County resident and is found eligible for special education and services, the MCPS school IEP team conducting the evaluation will share all their assessment/eligibility findings with the parent(s)/guardian(s). If the parent(s)/guardian(s) want a draft IEP, the MCPS IEP team will refer them back to their district of residence. If the parent/guardian decides to continue with the private/parochial school enrollment, the student will be offered a limited service plan based on the IEP. Service plan services are offered at the MCPS school closest to the student's private/parochial school of enrollment.

Home-Schooled Students

If a student is found eligible for special education and services, the MCPS school IEP team conducting the evaluation must present a draft initial IEP to the parent/guardian. At this point, the parent/guardian may decide to re-enroll their student in their home school or recommended placement school to receive comprehensive IEP services or may decide to continue with homeschooling. If the parent/guardian decides to continue with homeschooling, the student is not eligible to receive any of the IEP provisions as per the MSDE-state guidelines. The parent/guardian should contact the coordinator of the Private/Parochial School office at 240-740-3850 to request information and a referral packet.

Re-enrollment

Students re-enrolling in an MCPS school from a homeschooled program who were found previously found eligible for special education and related services should notify the school of enrollment and request an IEP meeting to determine if an initial referral, evaluation, or IEP development meeting should be convened.