Preschool Services for Children with Disabilities
The Office of Early Learning (OEL) is committed to providing developmentally appropriate practices within high quality early childhood services to preschoolers.
OEL is a collaborative department that includes many Preschool Programs. Preschool Programs identify, places, and directly serves eligible children. We partner with families and the community in order to build a strong foundation for the educational future of the young children who we serve.
Craven County Schools is the lead agency responsible for providing special education services for preschool children. The Exceptional Children’s Preschool Program:
- serves children ages 3, 4 and pre-K 5 who are eligible for special education services.
- is responsible for ensuring that children are identified, screened, evaluated and served if they qualify for special education services under the guidelines of North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and in accordance with The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and determined by the Individual Education Plan (IEP) team.
- provides needed services at no cost to the family.
Child Find
If you are a parent, physician, private provider, or child care teacher and have concerns about overall development for a preschool aged child, Craven County Exceptional Children’s Preschool Program provides evaluations at no cost to the family, to children suspected of having a disability. Services will be provided to those children that are determined to be eligible for special education services. If you have questions and would like to make a referral for an exceptional children’s evaluation: or, if you are a parent of a preschool aged child with an IEP that has recently moved into Craven County contact the Exceptional Children's Preschool Coordinator at 252-514-4382 or email lisa.kemp@cravenk12.org
