What are our responsibilities to conduct “Child Find” activities?
Your charter school’s responsibilities for Child Find depend on its LEA status. IDEA requires each state to have in effect policies and procedures to ensure that “all children with disabilities residing in the State, including children with disabilities who are homeless children or are wards of the State, and children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disability, and who are in need of special education and related services are identified, located, and evaluated” [CFR Sec.300.111(a)(1)(i)]. States develop procedures that their LEAs must follow to carry out these responsibilities. If your charter school is its own LEA for special education, you must follow state procedures just like any other LEA. However, a charter school does not have jurisdiction over a geographical area as most traditional LEAs do, so the actual implementation of Child Find responsibilities by charter schools will differ. Charter schools are responsible for children onl
