What is Child Find?
Child Find is the process of locating, evaluating, and identifying children with disabilities who may be in need of special education and related services. Local school districts are required by federal and state laws to find children who may need special education services and related services.
What is a disability?
UNDER IDEA
For children ages birth to 3 – A physical or mental condition that may result in a developmental delay.
For children ages 3 through 5 – A documented deficit in one or more of the following developmental areas: communication, vision, hearing, motor skills, social emotional/behavioral functioning, self-help skills, and/or cognitive skills.
For children ages 5 through 21 – Identification of one or more of the following conditions: autism, deaf blindness, hearing impairment including deafness, mental retardation, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, emotional disturbance, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and/or visual impairment including blindness.
UNDER SECTION 504
In addition and in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment of 2008, The Valley Stem + Me2 Academy is participating in Child Find efforts to locate, evaluate and identify all children who have a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits a major life activity who may because of disability, needs or is believed to need special education, related services or aids or accommodations/modifications. If a parent or guardian suspects that a child may be eligible under this federal definition, please contact the Principal of Student Services, Corey Stephens.
Phone: 330.729.4000 Email: Corey.Stephens@MahoningCTC.com
What is the purpose of Child Find?
- To alert parents, professionals, and the public to children who may have special needs
- To guarantee that school districts find children who may have disabilities and who otherwise may not have come to their attention
- To enable eligible children to receive the special education and related services that are needed
- To promote public awareness of disabilities
How can you help?
If you are aware of a child who may have special needs, please notify his/her school district. Parents, relatives, public and private agency employees, childcare providers, physicians and concerned citizens are encouraged to help school districts find any child, ages birth – 21, who may have a disability and are in need of special education and related services.
What happens next?
The school district will contact the parents of the child to discuss the next steps in the evaluation and identification process. This process is provided at no cost to the family. If a need is identified, the child can begin receiving the appropriate special education and related services during the school day.
If you suspect a child may have a disability, help is available.
Contact The Valley Stem + Me2 Academy at:
The Valley Stem + Me2 Academy
7300 North Palmyra Rd.
Canfield, Ohio 44406
Phone: 330.729.4000
Fax: 330.729.4052
For additional information and resources, contact:
State Support Team 5
7320 North Palmyra Road
Canfield, Ohio 44406
Phone: 330.965.7828
Fax: 330.965.7901
Website: https://www.sstr5.org/
Serving Families and Agencies in Mahoning County:
Mahoning County Children Services
222 W. Federal Street
4th Floor
Youngstown, Ohio 44503
Phone: 330.941.8888
Website: https://www.mahoningkids.com/
The activity, which is the subject of this report, was supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Department of Education. However, the opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and no official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education should be inferred. The Ohio Department of Education does not discriminate on the issues of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in employment or in the provision of services.