Victoria Meeder from the Office of Innovative Projects at CCRESA presented on Child Find in Michigan. The presentation covered Michigan's Child Find system of support for ages 3-26, how to make referrals for children in nonpublic schools, and resources. It discussed key terms, the responsibilities of districts of location and residence, and regulations regarding evaluations and services for parentally-placed private school children. Meeder emphasized that Child Find is the responsibility of local districts and provided contact information for Project Find Michigan and Early On Michigan.

1. ―Don’t Worry.
But Don’t Wait.‖
Michigan District Teacher’s
Conference 2012
Presenter: Victoria Meeder,
Marketing/Public Awareness Supervisor
Office of Innovative Projects, CCRESA
Find us on Facebook
Facebook.com/earlyonmichigan
Find us on Twitter
Twitter.com/ChildFindMich

2. Learning
Objectives
1. Learn about
Michigan’s Child
Find system of
support.
2. Child Find
Legislation for age
3 -26.
3. How to make
referrals for
children/students
in Nonpublic
schools.

3. Resources in Your Packet
• Child Find in Michigan
• Child Find PowerPoint
• Federal Regulations
§300.125 – 300.128
Children in Private School
• How is Child Find
implemented for
students in non-public
schools?
• Project Find Brochure
• Mandated Activities
Project Brochure
• MI Special Ed. One Pager
– Child Find
• B-11 Child Find Guidance
• MI Dept. of Ed. Office of
Special Education 2012
Update

4. ―Coffee Talk‖
a.k.a. ―Meet and
Greet‖

5. Clinton County RESA
Office of Innovative Projects
Early On® Training and
Technical Assistance:
Personnel development
for Early On
Pre-Service: Early On
Center for Higher
Education
Early On Public
Awareness: Child find
for Infants and Toddlers,
birth – 3
Project Find: Child find for
Special Education, birth
– 26
619 Training and Technical
Assistance: Early Childhood
Special Education Focus
3 to 5

6. Legal Milestones
History of Public Policy
1971
1972 1975 1986 1990 2001
1954 1964 1965
Elementary
U.S. Supreme & Secondary PL 94-142 2001 ESEA
PL 102-119
Court Decision Education Act Education Reauthorization
Americans
Ruling in Brown (ESEA), now for All with to No Child Left
v. Board of known as NCLB- Head Handicapped Behind
Start Disabilities
Education of Improving Children Act Act
Topeka, Kansas Outcomes for (EAHCA)
that “separate Children. (Ages 5 to 18)
but equal” is “Closing the
unconstitutional Achievement
Gap”
PL 99-457
Amendment to
Civil Rights
Michigan State ED for
Act of 1964
Constitution Article Handicapped
8, Section 8, Public Children Act
Law 198 (Birth to (Ages Birth to
3) & (Ages 6 to 26) 21)

7. Child Find Part C
§303.321 Comprehensive
child find system (excerpts).
All infants and toddlers with
disabilities in the State who
are eligible for early
intervention services are
identified, located, and
evaluated, including –
Indian infants and toddlers
with disabilities, those who
are homeless, in foster care,
or Wards of the State.
Coordination with
education, health, and
social service programs.

8. What is Early On®
• Birth up to age 3;
• Early intervention
system of support
and/or services for
infants and toddlers
up to age 3;
• Broader definition of
eligibility than special
education
1800EarlyOn.org

9. Child Find – Part B of
IDEA (3 – 21)
§ 300.111 Child find.
(a) General. (1) The State
must have in effect policies
and procedures to ensure
that—(i) All children with
disabilities residing in the
State, including homeless
children, wards of the State,
children with disabilities
attending private schools…
and who are in need of
special education and
related services, are
identified, located, and
evaluated;

10. Child Find – Part B
§300.131 Each LEA must
locate, identify, and
evaluate all children with
disabilities who are enrolled
by their parents in a private,
including religious,
elementary schools, and
secondary schools located
in the school district served
by the LEA.

11. Final Regulations
34 CFR 300.130 - 300.144:
Requirements for children
with disabilities enrolled by
their parents in private
(nonpublic) schools.
(supplied in packet)
The child find process must be
designed to ensure –
• The equitable participation
of parentally-placed private
school children; and
• An accurate count of those
children.
• The LEA, must undertake
activities similar to the
activities undertaken for the
agency’s public school
children.

12. Terms defined:
• In Michigan, ―school‖ is
defined as grades K-12.
• Non-Public Schools are
registered with the State
(also includes home schools
that are registered with the
Michigan Department of
Education).
• District of location: school
district within whose
boundaries a nonpublic
elementary or secondary
school is located.
• District of residence: school
district where the student
legally resides (N.Y. ED. Dept. –
10/2007

13. ―Parentally –
Placed‖ in
Nonpublic School
Child Find
Process, Activities, and
Evaluations must:
• Completed in a time period
comparable to that for
public school children.
• Same as procedures for
public school children.
• Similar to activities to public
school children. (S. LaPointe, 2009)

14. Parentally Placed
Private School
Children – IDEA 04
District of Location Responsibilities:
• Child find, including evaluations
• Consultation with nonpublic
school and parent
representatives
• Eligibility and recommendations
for services
• Equitable provision of services
• Expenditure of proportionate
share of federal funds
• Data collecting and reporting
(N.Y. ED. Dept. – 10/2007)
Child Find is the responsibility of the
district in which the non-public
school is located.

15. IDEA 04 and the LEA
Each Local Educational
Agency must:
• Proportionate share of Part B
funds
• Share based on results of a
thorough and complete
child find after timely and
meaningful consultation
with private school
representatives.
• The LEA records on the
number evaluated, the
number eligible, and the
number served.
(S. LaPointe)

16. Parentally Placed Private
School Children – IDEA
04 Regulations
IDEA does not provide an
individual entitlement of FAPE
(free and appropriate public
education) to students with
disabilities attending nonpublic
schools.
• The District of Residence is
responsible for FAPE.
What Does That Mean?
The district of location, in
consultation with the nonpublic
school, decides the types of
services that will be provided
and how. (Source: Sharon LaPointe, 2009)

17. Parentally Placed
Private School
Children – IDEA 04
Regulations
The DOL (district of location) is
responsible for child find.
• A parent may refuse
consent for evaluation. The
DOL cannot override refusal.
• Child find responsibility
includes reevaluation.
• DOL must provide
procedural safeguards
notice upon conducting
initial evaluation.
Child find is an obligation for
ALL enrolled students, even if
they are NOT residents of
Michigan. (S. LaPointe, 2009)

18. Child Find in
Michigan – Part B
and C
Statewide Child Find
Projects – economy scale
for
outreach, marketing, intake
/referral.
Support for locals
• Early On Public
Awareness
• Project Find Michigan
ISDs and LEAs are
responsible and
accountable for child find
within their districts.

19. Child Find –
Potential
Contention
• Failure to
evaluate
• Eligibility
• Preschool
services

20. How to Make a
Referral
Contact your Local
Education Agency

21. www.ProjectFindMichigan.org
Project Find Michigan Website

22. Public Awareness Products

23. www.1800EarlyOn.org
Early On Michigan Website

24. www.eotta.ccresa.org
Early On Training and Technical Assistance

25. Join Us on Facebook
Facebook.com/EarlyOnMichigan

26. Follow Our Tweets
Twitter.com/ChildFindMich

27. Child Find
Resources
• Identify, Locate, Evaluate:
Child Find Under IDEA (Part B)
and Section 504
• WrightsLaw.com
• m-a-n-s.org
• Michiganallianceforfamilies.org
• Michigan.gov/mde
• Regulations.gov
• msemp.cenmi.org
(Michigan Special Education Mediation Pgrm.)

28. Thank You for
Attending!
1-800-252-0052
www.ProjectFindMichigan.org
1-800-Early On (327-5966)
www.1800EarlyOn.org
Victoria Meeder
http://www.linkedin.com/in/meedervictoria
Meeder_v@ccresa.org
517.668.0185