Prince William County Public Schools

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 who may need extra help. This can happen in several ways. For example, teachers, parents, or even the child's doctor may notice that a child is struggling in school or has difficulty with certain tasks.
2. Referral: Once a child is identified, a referral is made to the school or the local school district. This means that someone officially asks for help for the child, like a teacher or a parent.
3. Evaluation: After the referral, the child will be evaluated by a team of experts. These experts may include teachers, psychologists, and other professionals. They will assess the child's strengths and weaknesses to understand their specific needs.
4. Eligibility Determination: Based on the evaluation, the team will decide if the child is eligible for special education services. 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 with the parents, teachers and other professionals to create an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The IEP is like 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, the child will start receiving the support outlined in the plan. This may include extra help in certain subjects, accommodations, or modifications to assignments, or even specialized instruction.

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