Child Find Search and Serve

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) includes a Child Find mandate. Under the Child Find mandate, school districts are required to locate, identify, and evaluate ALL children with disabilities or suspected to have a disability from birth through age 21. The Child Find mandate applies to all children who reside within a State, including children who attend private schools and public schools, highly mobile children, migrant children, homeless children, and children who are wards of the State (20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(3)).