Child Find

Child Find is a duty the law places on states and school districts to actively seek out, identify, and evaluate all children who may have a disability and need special education. It applies from birth through the school years and covers children in public schools, private schools, and even those who are homeschooled or have no school at all. The responsibility to look is on the system, not on the parent.

This matters because a school cannot simply wait for a family to figure out the process and ask for help. If staff have reason to suspect a child needs services — because of struggling grades, behavior, or a known condition — Child Find means they are supposed to act, not overlook it. Many delays in getting a child evaluated trace back to this duty being ignored.

As a parent, you do not have to wait for the school to notice. If you suspect your child has a disability affecting their learning, you can trigger the process yourself with a written request for an evaluation. But knowing about Child Find is useful, because it means the school shares the responsibility — and a district that ignored clear warning signs may not have met its legal obligation.