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Online Resources Library >> Education >> Child Development Services (CDS)

Child Development Services (CDS)

 

State Office

The Child Development Services (CDS) system is an Intermediate Educational Unit (IEU) that provides both Early Intervention (birth - two years) and Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE for ages three - five years) under the supervision of the Maine Department of Education.  The CDS system ensures the provisions of Special Education Rules (both Federal and State Regulations) statewide through a contractual or grant relationship between the Department of Education and each regional site.

CDS consists of sixteen regional sites, a State Office and a State Level Advisory Committee, comprised of one member from each regional site.  Each CDS site is an Intermediate Educational Unit (IEU) with a Board of Directors, separate from the local public school.  The State CDS Office maintains a central data management system, system-wide policies and procedures, and provides centralized fiscal services for the local sites.

 

CDS provides Early Intervention and Special Education programming in the following areas:

• Physical gross/fine motor skills
• Cognitive
• Communication (Speech and Language)
• Social/Emotional
• Adaptive

 

CDS involvement extends to the following:

• CDS provides case management and direct instruction for children birth through age five and their families.

• Conducts ChildFind (the process of identifying children with disabilities) screenings and evaluations for children birth through age five.

• Identifies eligible children through Part C or Part B and secure local service access for services.

 

Useful Links:

Administrative Letters

CDS

CDS Early Childhood Performance Profiles (2007-2008 data)CDS Staff

CDS Program Overview 2009

CDS Training Calendar w/Power Point Presentations

Due Process (Hearing Decisions)

Early Intervention

Informational Letters

Maine's Expanding Inclusive Opportunities Initiative for Children, Families and Communities

Maine Organizations

Maine Public Preschool Programs

Map of Regional CDS Offices

New Jersey Early Intervention Services (Transition)

Part C Part B

Part C Process Chart

Provider Resources

Special Education Data - Federal Programs Team

Teamwork for Preschool Transition, 2008

USDHHS, Strengthening Families and Communities: 2010 Resource Guide