Child Find & Eligibility

Welcome to the Prince William County Child Find Program

We are committed to ensuring that every child, regardless of their abilities or challenges, receives the support and resources they need to thrive in our school system.

Our Child Find program is designed to identify and serve children residing within Prince William County or attending a Prince William County daycare or private school who are birth to age 21, inclusive, and may require special education services.

What is the Child Find Process?

The PWCS Child Find Process is designed to help identify and support children who may have special educational needs. Here are the steps explained in simple terms:

  1. Identification: The first step is to identify children where a disability is suspected. This can happen in several ways. For example, teachers and parents may notice that a child is struggling in school and that research-based interventions have been unsuccessful OR the child's doctor has noticed that the child has not reached certain developmental milestones within a period of time and that these delays may have an educational impact.
  2. Referral: Once a child is identified, a referral may be made in written, electronic or oral form to the school administrator of the school the child attends, OR if enrolling, the zoned school according to the parent’s address. This means that someone officially asks for help for the child, like a teacher or a parent because a disability is suspected. The Child Find Team shall meet within 10 business days following the receipt of the referral to the administrator.
  3. Consent to Evaluate and Evaluation: During the Child Find Team Meeting, the team will discuss the referral concerns and determine whether additional data needs to be collected. If so, the team will discuss those areas of evaluation and parent consent is needed to proceed. If consent is given, the child will be evaluated by a team of experts based on the referral concern. These experts may include teachers, psychologists, and other professionals. They will assess the child's strengths and weaknesses to understand their specific needs. The deadline for completion of the evaluations is 60 business days.
  4. Eligibility Determination: Based on the evaluation, the Child Find Team will decide if the child is eligible for special education services according to criteria determined by VDOE and aligned with IDEA regulatory guidelines. Special education services are personalized support and teaching methods to help children with different needs.
  5. Individualized Education Program (IEP): If the child is found eligible, a meeting will be held within 30 calendar days with the parents, teachers, and other professionals to create an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The IEP is a plan that outlines the specific support and services the child will receive to help them succeed in school.
  6. Ongoing Support: Once the IEP is created and the parent has given consent, the child will start receiving the support outlined in the plan. This specialized instruction may include extra help in certain subjects, specific accommodations, or related services support

Remember, the Child Find Process is there to make sure that every child gets the help they need to thrive in school. It's important to ask questions and communicate with teachers and parents if you think you need some extra support!

Who to Contact?

Birth - 3 years

Infant and Toddler Connection of Greater Prince William/Early Intervention Program
703-792-7879

Age 2 by September 30 to 5 years (not kindergarten eligible)

The Child Find Evaluation Center at Woodbine
703-791-8857

Age 5 years (kindergarten eligible) to 21 years

Contact the Prince William County base school according to residence

This includes:

  • Children enrolled in private schools.
  • Children who are home-schooled.
  • Children who are 5 years old whose parents hold them out of kindergarten.
  • Children who are attending PWCS.

Find your school

Child Find Office

Shelley Legall-Brickey, Supervisor
BrickeSL@pwcs.edu

Tonya Sikkar, Administrative Coordinator
SikkarTW@pwcs.edu

Christina Haye, Administrative Coordinator
HayeCG@pwcs.edu

Juana Calvillo, Administrative Assistant II
CalvilJR@pwcs.edu

Runia M. Brokamp, Registrar
BrokamRM@pwcs.edu

Stacy M. Escobar, Office Assistant
EscobaSM@pwcs.edu

Español

Visión General de Child Find

Las Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Prince William mantienen un programa activo y continuo de Child Find diseñado para identificar, localizar y evaluar a aquellos niños que residen en la jurisdicción desde el nacimiento hasta los 21 años, inclusive, y que necesitan servicios de educación especial.

Puede contactar a...?

Nacimiento - 3 años

Infant and Toddler Connection de Greater Prince William/Programa de intervención temprana
703-792-7879

De 2 años al 30 de septiembre a 5 años (no elegible para kindergarten)

Preschool Child Find, PWCS
703-791-8857

Edad 5 años (elegible para Kindergarten) a 21 años

Póngase en contacto con la escuela base del condado de Prince William según su domicilio.

Esto Incluye:

  • Niños/as matriculados en escuelas privadas.
  • Niños/as que son educados en casa.
  • Niños/as que tienen 5 años cuyos padres no los dejan entrar al kindergarten.
  • Niños/as que asisten a PWCS.

Encuentre su escuela