Thursday, October 1, 2026
Families entering the preschool special-education system often carry a mix of hope and uncertainty. A parent notices that a child struggles with communication. A pediatrician raises a developmental concern. A preschool teacher sees delays that deserve attention. From that moment forward, families begin navigating a system filled with new terms, unfamiliar meetings and important decisions.
Last November, under the leadership of Commissioner Betty Rosa, the State Education Department released updated guidance to help families understand how preschool and school-age special-education services work. It explains how referrals are initiated, how evaluations take place and how services are determined. For many families, this clarity arrives at the right moment. Early identification opens access to services that strengthen communication, social development and readiness for school.
Decades of research points to the same conclusion: Early support strengthens long-term outcomes for children. If you notice your child struggling, consider talking with your pediatrician or preschool provider. They can guide you on the next steps, including whether a referral for evaluation makes sense.
The preschool process begins with that referral. A parent, pediatrician or early-childhood provider can initiate that step. Once a family provides consent, their child receives an evaluation to determine eligibility for services through the Committee on Preschool Special Education, or CPSE. The updated state guidance walks families through each step of that process. It explains timelines designed to protect children from unnecessary delays.
After consent for an evaluation, the initial review must occur within 60 days. Once the CPSE develops recommendations, services begin as soon as possible, no later than 30 school days. Those timelines are important. In the life of a child, a few months represent a significant period of development. Communication skills, social interaction and early learning habits grow rapidly during the preschool years.
The guidance also addresses one of the most confusing moments for families: the transition between early intervention and preschool special education. When a child receiving early-intervention services approaches their third birthday and remains eligible, families must begin planning for a move to preschool special education. The state regulations require the transition plan to be in place at least three months before the child’s next birthday to prevent any gaps in services. Careful planning during this stage helps maintain service continuity in a crucial period of a child’s development.
Clear procedures matter. Timelines matter. Even stronger systems rely on one essential ingredient: relationships. A strong CPSE process begins with listening. Families arrive with knowledge that no evaluation report can fully capture. They understand their child’s strengths, their challenges and the small victories that signal progress.
Parents play an important role in every decision. They participate in meetings. They receive information in their home language. They provide consent for evaluations and services. They ask questions and raise concerns when something feels unclear. Across school systems, effective teams recognize that parents do not sit at the table as visitors. They serve as partners.
In District 30, those partnerships shape daily work. Our teachers, speech therapists, psychologists, social workers and administrators collaborate with families from the first referral through the early elementary years. Our goal is to give each child the support necessary to grow, communicate, learn and belong.
My perspective as a superintendent includes both sides of that table. Years of work in special education, and years of parenting a child with significant disabilities, shaped the same conclusion. Families entering this process seek clarity, respect and honest partnership. New York’s updated guidance offers families a clearer roadmap. It requires local school systems to bring that roadmap to life through careful listening and strong partnerships with families, communicating clearly and keeping the focus exactly where it belongs: on the growth and potential of every child.
Dr. Roxanne Garcia-France is superintendent of Valley Stream School District 30.
