PreK Child Find, Birth to 3 & Private School Liaison

Preschool Child Find, Birth-3 & Private School Liaison

Reports To: Early Learning Coordinator & Director of Special Education & Student Services

Minimum Qualifications:

• Valid Connecticut State Teaching Certificate with appropriate endorsement (e.g., Early Childhood Special Education, Comprehensive Special Education, or related field).
• Minimum of three years of experience in early childhood, special education, or related service coordination.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Connecticut's Birth to Three System (Part C) and IDEA Part B regulations, including child find and equitable services for private school students.
• Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.

General Description: The Preschool Child Find, Birth to Three and Private School Liaison serves as the district's primary contact and coordinator for children transitioning from the Connecticut Birth to Three System and for students enrolled in private and parochial schools who may be eligible for services under IDEA. The Liaison ensures that both systems operate in compliance with state and federal regulations, facilitates communication among families, service providers, and schools, and supports the development and implementation of appropriate early intervention and special education services.

This position bridges early intervention and school-age programming by ensuring timely transitions, accurate data management, and collaborative consultation with community partners, private school administrators, and district staff.

This position includes the equivalent of ten (10) additional days of employment beyond the teacher work year, compensated by stipend, to fulfill required responsibilities related to Birth to Three transitions and private school compliance activities.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Preschool Child Find Coordination

Serves as the district's Preschool Child Find Coordinator, receiving referrals from families and community agencies for children ages 35, coordinating the referral process in accordance with Connecticut Child Find requirements, ensuring compliance with timelines, and facilitating communication among families, evaluators, and school teams.

Birth-to-Three Coordination

• Serve as the district liaison to the Connecticut Birth to Three System and Office of Early Childhood (OEC).
• Coordinate and facilitate the transition of children from Birth to Three into preschool special education services, ensuring compliance with IDEA Part C to Part B timelines.
• Participate in transition conferences, ensuring families understand the evaluation, eligibility, and IEP process.
• Collaborate with service coordinators, families, evaluators, and preschool staff to ensure seamless transitions and appropriate placement recommendations.
• Maintain required documentation for all children referred from Birth to Three, including transition timelines, evaluations, and outcomes.
• Provide outreach, training, and technical assistance to early childhood providers, families, and community partners on referral and transition procedures.
• Monitor district compliance with state regulations related to early childhood special education identification and service provision.
• Maintain ongoing communication with OEC and CSDE to ensure updates to procedures and compliance standards are implemented.

Private School Consultation Responsibilities

• Serve as the district point of contact for private and parochial schools regarding child find, evaluation, and consultation requirements under IDEA.
• Work closely in collaboration with the Private/Parochial Student Services Liaison to ensure district obligations are met.
• Meet consistently with the Private/Parochial Student Services Liaison.
• Coordinate the evaluation process for students attending private schools who are referred for special education consideration.
• Evaluate students, attend meetings, and write ISPs for qualifying students.
• Facilitate the timely exchange of information among private school staff, families, and district evaluation teams.
• Maintain clear communication with families regarding evaluation results, eligibility determinations, and available support.
• Provide technical assistance and training to private school personnel regarding IDEA obligations, referral procedures, and service coordination.
• Maintain accurate data and reporting related to private school referrals, consultations, and service outcomes.

General Responsibilities

• Uphold all district policies, procedures, and confidentiality requirements.
• Collaborate with preschool, elementary, and student services teams to promote consistency and alignment of early childhood practices.
• Participate in relevant professional development and remain informed of updates to state and federal regulations.
• Demonstrate professionalism, cultural competence, and commitment to family-centered, inclusive practices.

Special Knowledge/Skills:

• Knowledge of early childhood development and intervention practices.
• Familiarity with IDEA Parts B and C, Connecticut Birth to Three regulations, and child find procedures.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, with the ability to facilitate collaborative meetings.
• Capacity to manage multiple timelines and documentation requirements accurately.
• Ability to establish positive relationships with families, private school personnel, and community partners.
• Demonstrated proficiency in data management systems and compliance tracking.

Physical Abilities and Working Conditions:

The Physical Abilities and Other Conditions of Employment listed in this section are representative of, but are not intended to provide an exhaustive list of Physical Abilities and Other Conditions of Employment that may be required of positions in this class. Norwich Public School District encourages persons with disabilities who are interested in employment in this class and need reasonable accommodation of those disabilities to contact the Human Resources Department for further information.

• Frequent travel within the district and to community or private school sites.
• Requires sitting, standing, walking, and occasional lifting of materials up to 25 pounds.
• Involves home, school, and community-based work environments.
• Occasional exposure to varying weather conditions when traveling between locations.

Terms of Employment: Salary and work year to be determined by the agreement between the Norwich Board of Education and the Norwich Teachers League or as established by the Board of Education. This position includes ten (10) additional days of employment beyond the teacher work year, compensated by stipend, to fulfill required responsibilities related to Birth to Three transitions and private school compliance activities.

Salary: NTL Contractual Salary and Stipend - $3,828

Evaluation: Performance of this job will be evaluated annually in accordance with Board of Education policy and the evaluation procedures for certified staff.