The Child Finder Book

[Maitane Roderiques]

Naomiis an experienced and determined investigator....a child finder, and her present case takes her on a dangerous search in the snowy Oregon wilderness for eight year old Madison Culver missing for three long years.

Multi-layered, THE CHILD FINDER intertwines the search for Madison as well as a search for memories Naomi herself keeps buried deep inside....her own story of monsters too horrifying to remember....a past that holds a devastating secret.

It is also a story of parental love and hope, of a foster mom with a big heart, and a man who lost a part of himself, but continues to fight for what he wants. AND, there's heartbreak here, more lost souls....always more to be found, but for Naomi....Who is safe to trust?

Finding the children who need special education and related services is a basic function of the special education system. Without an effective child find process in place, the structure of the entire system is compromised.

Portland-based writer Rene Denfeld knows what it means to be a child recovering from trauma. It is this powerful, first-hand experience that inspired her to write the suspenseful, empathic, and heartfelt novel, The Child Finder (Harper Collins, September 2017).

Denfeld is a woman who is literally changing the world in more ways than one. She uses her voice to inspire, heal, and educate others; she uses her pen to share stories that are so often untold; and she uses her heart to give so much love.

The same is true of writing, I use it to make sense of the world, to tell the stories of the dispossessed. The Child Finder tells the story of an investigator looking for a missing child, and what that child is going through. I wanted to explore how we survive trauma, the importance of human connections, and how we find hope in even the most despairing places. Since life is also magical and poetic, it is a literary novel. The prose captures the immense joy and beauty that can be found even in struggle.

The complexities of the human spirit intrigue me. Sometimes we believe we are working towards one goal when in fact we are up to something else entirely. I think of these as shadow rooms in the homes of our souls. The question is how willing we are to explore those rooms, with the bright light of honesty.

This novel is about people taking on new identities. For example, the lost girl calls herself The Snow Girl in order to mentally survive. The book states that the children who do the best are the ones who find a way to play, who create fantasy worlds in which to hide or sometimes pretend they are someone else. What research did you do about children recovering from trauma/captivity?

Abuse creates abuse. Hurting people hurt others. Personally, I think that is a very optimistic truth to know, because then we realize we can prevent violence. There is so much we can do to reduce or stop childhood abuse. That we are not doing it is another issue. But it is much more hopeful than thinking all these people are bad seeds. Because that is so despairing, to think there is nothing we can do.

Child Find is the process of identifying children with potential special education needs as well as educating the community about child development and the importance of early intervention. Child Find services are provided for children ages 20 months through 5 years by the FCPS Early Childhood Identification and Services (ECID&S) program. Note: Child must turn two by no later then September 30.

The FCPS ECID&S program staff members serve as liaisons providing assistance and information to local community preschool, child care, Head Start, and Family and Early Childhood Education Programs (FECEP). ECID&S staff members also perform community outreach to increase public awareness of the importance of early intervention, and to ensure that all members of the Fairfax County community are able to access Child Find services, if needed.

Child Find screenings are free to children ages 20 months to 5 years old who are Fairfax County or Fairfax City residents. To determine the early childhood assessment site to contact please call 571-423-4121. Note: Child must turn two by no later then September 30.

Child Find is a continuous process of public awareness activities, screening and evaluation designed to locate, identify, and refer as early as possible all young children with disabilities and their families who are in need of an Early Intervention Program (Part C) or Early Childhood Special Education (Part B) services of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

School districts are required to locate, identify and evaluate children with disabilities within their attendance area. To assist in this child find process, districts have developed "Informed Referral Networks." An Informed Referral Network is comprised of community partners working together to serve young children and their families. Relationships with community partners have proven to be the most effective practice in identifying children with disabilities. These partnerships provide an opportunity to learn more about screening young children and providing information about community resources. This community network refers children who may have a disability and a need for special education.

Collaborating Partners website

The Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborating Partners (WECCP) is a network of state, regional, and community, public and private, state departments, agencies, associations, and individuals working together to positively impact the lives of young children and their families encompassing the areas of early care and education, health, mental health, parent education and family support.

For questions around special education services, please contact the OSD District Representative or Special Education Administrator assigned to your school, Parent Involvement Specialists are also available.

Developmental screenings can indicate if a child is having difficulties with cognitive/academic, communication, social-emotional, and fine/gross motor skills. A hearing and vision screening are also available. Regional screenings are held monthly at several Chicago Public Libraries across the city. No appointment is necessary.

To ensure success in an academic setting, we use formal and informal assessments to ensure a thorough and holistic look at each student's strengths and needs. Evaluators may include a school psychologist, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapist, physical therapist, school social worker, nurse, teacher, and case manager.

CPS provides early childhood specialized services to students three to five years of age based on the needs identified in their Individualized Education Program (IEP). The Office for Students with Disabilities works closely with the Office of Early Childhood Education to provide all students with access to high quality, individualized instruction.

At CPS, the first placement option considered for students with disabilities is a Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), which is a regular education classroom that provides supplemental aids and services as needed. Special classes, separate schooling, or other placements that remove students from the regular education classroom occur only when specified by a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP).

This program is indicated for any preschool age student requiring support from an early childhood special education teacher in the general education classroom for up to 120 minutes weekly. (This does not apply to a student receiving speech-only services.)

This program is indicated for any preschool age student requiring educational services from an early childhood special education teacher in the general education classroom for up to 500 minutes weekly.

Child Find, an IDEA mandate, seeks to locate all children with disabilities who would benefit from public services. They provide an initial referral point for children not enrolled in Seattle Public Schools. Additionally, they conduct outreach efforts to identify at-risk children who may not be independently referred.

School-age students who attend a private school within district boundaries or reside in the district may be referred for evaluation. If eligible, they can receive services at a Seattle Public Schools site.

School age students who are homeschooled, homeless, wards of the state, highly mobile, or migrant and reside in the district may be referred for evaluation. If eligible, they can receive services at a Seattle Public Schools site.

Child Find refers to the federal requirement under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that all children in need of special education services are identified, located and evaluated. Schools are responsible for conducting Child Find and identifying all IDEA-eligible students that reside in their jurisdiction. Child Find is not a passive activity, but rather an active process.

Child Find provides free developmental screenings for children from three years of age until kindergarten. It is also the single point of entry for families moving into Montgomery County whose preschool-aged child has been previously identified with a disability.

In order to complete a screening for a child who will enter Kindergarten in the fall (born prior to September 1, 2019), the completed paperwork must be received by the Child Find office by

FDLRS/Alpha Child Find Services, in coordination with the school districts, locates children who are potentially eligible for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and links them with needed services.

Child Find services help to promote general public awareness of programs and services available for young children who have or are at risk of developing disabilities. Service coordination for diagnostic screening, placement, training, and support is also provided.

3a8082e126