What does the Child Find Law require?

• A. Schools are legally required to find children who have disabilities and need services from birth to 21.
• B. Child Find only applies to students in public schools.
• C. Child Find guarantees FAPE for all students.
• D. Child Find only applies to students already identified.

Answer: (A)

Child Find is the obligation to identify, locate, and evaluate all children who may have disabilities and need special education and related services, from birth through age 21. This means districts must actively look for children who might need help, not just rely on referrals from families or teachers. It covers kids who aren’t yet identified or who aren’t currently in a traditional public school setting, including those in private schools, homes, or experiencing homelessness. If a child is found eligible, services are provided through the IDEA framework, but the identification and evaluation process itself is about finding those who might need support. The other statements are too limited or inaccurate: Child Find is not restricted to currently enrolled public school students, it’s not limited to those already identified, and while IDEA does guarantee a Free Appropriate Public Education, that guarantee comes from the overall law, not the identification requirement alone.