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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
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.