Child Find Campaign
The Richmond County School System offers a variety of free special education programs serving children from age 2 through 21. To locate those who are suspected of having a disability, the school system conducts an annual Child Find Campaign. Children with a disability who turn two on or before September 30, and who have not reached their 22nd birthday by that date, can be considered for these programs.
Disabilities which may adversely affect a child’s educational progress include the following:
Early warning signs of these disabilities include delays in reaching developmental milestones in early childhood such as trouble sitting, standing, walking, talking, seeing, hearing, learning or paying attention. Early intervention helps children with disabilities have a better chance to develop.
Special services for identifying and treating children suspected of having disabilities are free and available through Richmond County Public Schools. In order to identify and place a child with a disability, the county follows an evaluation process. A child is referred by a teacher, parent, physician, or outside agency to a special education administrator and/or child study committee which then gathers information about the child from teachers and the person who made the referral.
The committee reviews the information and determines if there is a need to have a formal evaluation and if so, written consent is sought from the parent/guardian. Parents are informed of their rights and procedural safeguards including due process. A formal evaluation, which is free to the parents, may include educational and psychological assessments, medical and social histories, vision and hearing screenings, and speech and language screening. A committee, including parents and school personnel, meet to consider the results of the evaluations. If a child meets eligibility criteria, then a free appropriate public education of special services is offered.
Those who think they may know a child with a disability should call Sandra Hedrick, Director of Special Education, at the Richmond County School Board office at 804-333-5085, your child's school counselor, school administrator, or classroom teacher.