Child Find


We want to be sure that every child who has a disability receives the help he, she, or they need. We want to be sure that no child is overlooked. Everyone in the community who is concerned with the welfare of children may participate in the Child Find process. A referral may be made by a parent or by any person concerned about a child. Parent involvement and agreement is obtained prior to any further action. Information is confidential and the privacy of children and parents is protected

Our Districts accept referrals and screens children who may have a disability. The child is then referred to an appropriate educational facility for evaluation or services. This assessment is provided at no cost to the parent.

If you know of a child who has one or more of the following disabilities, or you suspect a child has a disability, please let us know. We’re here to help.

  • Autism
  • Blindness or vision impairment
  • Deafness or hearing impairment
  • Intellectual disability
  • Developmental disability
  • Learning disability
  • Physical or orthopedic disability
  • Speech or language difficult

For more information, or to refer a child, please contact your local school site or district office.


What is Child Find?

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires all school districts in all states to implement a policy to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities. One method of locating and identifying children with a suspected disability is the Child Find program.

The Child Find Program requires all school districts in California to locate, identify, and evaluate all children with a suspected disability, regardless of the severity of their disabilities, from birth to 21 years of age, inclusive, children not enrolled in public school programs, homeless children or who are wards of the state, children attending private, including private religious, elementary schools, and migrant children1. Those who are in need of special education and related services shall be identified, located, assessed, and ,if eligible, offered Free Appropriate Public Education2 (FAPE). 

IDEA 2004 shifted the Child Find obligation relative to private school students from the district in which the student resides to the district in which the private school is located that the student attends. Our district collaborates in conducting meaningful consultation with private school representatives in the area. As part of this consultation, private school representatives are informed about the Child Find mandate and the referral process for students suspected of having a disability who are attending private schools. The Child Find mandate is the same for all children, regardless of whether they attend public or private school. Private school representatives are also surveyed regarding identified eligible students in their schools and this input is considered by the district in the determination of policies for provision of equitable services to private school students via an Individualized Service Plan (ISP).

The site administrator or his/her designee has the responsibility at the local school level for the coordination of the Child Find activities. The district works in collaboration with other public agencies to assure that local private schools, hospitals, preschools, Regional Center, and California Children’s Services have been supplied with special education public information to help parents, teachers, and the community in general become aware of our child find obligations and many special education opportunities that are available in the areas serviced by Tahoe-Alpine SELPA.


To read more about 20 US Code § 1412(a)(3), please CLICK HERE.
To learn more about Free Appropriate Public Education, please CLICK HERE.

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