Family Resources

• Parent Information Center of Delaware - PIC: A great place for Delaware families to begin navigating all the resources available to children with disabilities in Delaware, including non-education-related resources. This website is especially helpful for families who have not yet entered the Delaware school system.

• Delaware Department of Special Education: DOE Website

• DDHS, Division for the Visually Impaired - Vision Impaired: The Mission of DVI is to provide educational, vocational, and technical support to empower and foster independence for Delawareans with visual impairments.

• Division of Developmental Disabilities Services (DDDS): DOE Website
• Transition after high school: DOE Website
• Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) services: DDDS supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. DDDS works to identify and support the unique needs of eligible service recipients by offering access to an extensive network of providers including: employment and pre-vocational services; support coordination and community navigation; assistive technologies; respite; a variety of day and residential programs; and, options for supported living.
• Delaware disability hub: Transitioning for teens and young adults with special educational or healthcare needs requires planning in several areas to make life easier. The Delaware Disability Hub (DelDHub) website was created to assist students in the transition years, their parents or caregivers, and professionals by providing resources, connections, guidance, and information from around the country. Although the DelDHub covers the teen years forward, parents or caregivers need to start thinking about the transition years at a much earlier age to ensure a child reaches their full potential.

• Department of Services for Children Youth and Families (DSCYF) Mental Health/Substance Use Emergencies - Child Priority Response (Crisis) Services:
  1-800-969-HELP (4357)

• Prevention and Behavioral Health Services (PBH): Ages birth to 18: The Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health Services, also known as DPBHS, provides an array of prevention, early intervention, and behavioral health treatment services statewide.

• Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH): Ages 18 and older: The Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, also known as DSAMH, provides an array of service focused on crisis intervention, prevention and treatment

• NAMI Delaware: Join us as we support, educate, and advocate for people with severe and persistent mental illness in Delaware. You can help us change how our community addresses mental illness

• Family SHADE: A community dedicated to supporting families of children with disabilities and chronic medical conditions.

• Take Care Delaware: If a law enforcement officer encounters a child during a call, that child’s information is forwarded to the school before the school bell rings the next day. The school implements individual, class and whole school trauma-sensitive curricula so that traumatized children are “Handled With Care". If a child needs more intervention, on-site trauma-focused mental healthcare is available at the school.

For more information, please reach out to Jill Wheeler at 302 552-3761.

Child Find for Parentally-Placed Private and Home School Students is a state and local effort to find children, grades K-12, who are not currently enrolled in a public or charter school, and who may have disabilities which interfere with learning. 

Who can make a referral?

• Only parents or legal guardians may request an evaluation for their student. A private school may NOT refer a student or request an evaluation on behalf of a student. 

When can a referral be made?

• Child Find is an ongoing process and referrals for evaluations can be made at any time. 

Why an evaluation? 

• Evaluations assist in determining learning strengths and weaknesses and also to determine eligibility for special education services in the public schools. Evaluations are completed during the school year on instructional days. 

What can Child Find evaluate for?

• We can evaluate in all areas necessary to determine eligibility for any one of the following 12 educational classifications in the State of Delaware: 
  • Autism
  • Deaf-Blind
  • Developmental Delay
  • Emotional Disability
  • Hearing Impairment
  • Specific Learning Disability 
  • Mild Intellectual Disability
  • Moderate Intellectual Disability 
  • Severe Intellectual Disability 
  • Orthopedic Impairment 
  • Other Health Impairment
  • Speech or Language Impairment 
  • Traumatic Brain Injury 

What happens if my student is eligible for services? 

• If your student is determined to be eligible for special education services, these services may be accessed via an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Your student must be enrolled in the public school to access most, but not all, special education services. 

What services can be delivered to my student at school? 

• For the 2024-25 school year, Red Clay Consolidated School District is providing speech therapy services to address your student’s articulation and/or fluency needs. 

How can I get more information? 

• Contact the Student Services and Special Education department at Red Clay Consolidated School District, located at 1502 Spruce Avenue, Wilmington, DE 19805. Phone Number: 302-552-3773.
• Contact the District Child Find K-12 Coordinator, Beth Chapman, via phone at at 302-552-3767 or via email at beth.chapman@redclay.k12.de.us. 

What if my child has not entered kindergarten?

• For Child Find for students younger than kindergarten age, please see our Early Years Child Find Page. 

Senate Bill 301 mandates that we provide mental health education to all students.

• Grades K-3 will have a combination of Second Step lessons (during classroom SEL) and QuaverEd lessons (during PE/health) which meet the criteria for this bill.
• Grades 4-5 will use Erika’s Lighthouse Level 1: We All Have Mental Health lessons to meet the criteria for this bill.
• Grades 6-8 will use Erika’s Lighthouse Level 2: Depression Awareness lessons to meet the criteria for this bill.
• Grades 9-12 will use Erika’s Lighthouse Level 3: Depression Education & Suicide Awareness lessons to meet the criteria for this bill.

Access Erika’s Lighthouse program information here.

Erin’s Law requires all Delaware public school students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12, their educators and families be provided with information about personal body safety and child sexual abuse awareness and prevention. Named in honor of Erin Merryn, a victim of child sexual abuse who worked to enact legislation on this subject throughout the country, Erin’s Law is intended to help young victims speak up about child abuse and concerned adults recognize the signs of abuse so that children can get the assistance they need.

• Grades PK-6 will use B.E. S.M.A.R.T. (PCAD) program: This is a personal safety program from Prevent Child Abuse Delaware that is available to all schools throughout Delaware.  This program is utilized by students in grades Pre-K through 5th.  Programs are conducted in a classroom, are multi-session, and range from 30-45 minutes per session. All programs are presented in a tasteful and non-threatening manner and utilize age-appropriate materials. All programs cover good and bad touches, safe people, and safety rules and include interactive activities.  For questions about the B.E. S.M.A.R.T. Program, please contact the school counselor at your child’s school.
• Grades 7-12 will use It’s Not Okay! program: This is an online module created by the Office of the Child Advocate (Delaware Courts).  This module is completed individually in one session (approximately 30-45 minutes).  While students are completing the module, support staff will be available to address any questions or concerns. For questions about this program, please contact the school counselor at your child’s school.

Click here for more information and family resources.