Early Childhood Special Education

 bmeehan@rsu16.org
 207-998-2727

Per new state law beginning August 27, 2026, RSU 16 will take over Child Find Referrals and Special Education Services for 4 year old children who live in Poland, Minot and Mechanic Falls. Services for 3 year olds will transition to RSU 16 beginning August 2027.

If you have a child receiving services or you suspect they may be in need of services please contact us.

This new law means that your local school district will now receive referrals for children ages 4-5 who you suspect may have a disability starting August 27, 2026 and three olds in August 2027. The school district will receive your referrals and then proceed to contact the parents and decide future steps. Just like with CDS,the school may refer the child for an evaluation with speech therapists, psychologists and other evaluators to determine if the child is disabled under special education law.

These are the same regulations and procedures that CDS currently follows so there will be no changes to the process with this law change.

You may email the ECSE department at: bmeehan@rsu16.org or call us at: (207) 998-2727 ext. 4.

We will make every attempt to ensure that this change is a smooth one. We look forward to working with you as a partner in assuring high-quality services for the young children with disabilities that we serve.