FAPE

What is FAPE?

FAPE = Free Appropriate Public Education in Early Childhood Special Education (3-5 yr. olds). FAPE plays a critical role in delivering equitable educational opportunities. It requires schools to create Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 Plans for eligible students, defining specific accommodations, services, and goals. FAPE ensures that educational services for eligible students are offered at no cost to families, covering special education, related services, and necessary accommodations.

Maine is in the transition period for how early childhood special education is provided for 3-5 yr olds. The switch is from Child Development Services (CDS) to School Administrative Units (SAUs). Responsibility for child find and free, appropriate public education (FAPE) for 3-, 4- and 5-year-old pre-K students with IEPs will transition to school administrative units (SAU) by July 1, 2028. SAUs may provide services directly or may contract with public or private providers to support services; the SAUs may also access their CDS Regional Site or other regional supports to provide services. Department of Education website page on FAPE.

How will this implementation will impact family child care providers’ small businesses?

The answer is that at this time we are not sure. Each School Administrative Unit is unique. What we understand is that Preschoolers with IEPs can have placements in licensed child care programs. Programs will need to be at Star 3 or higher.

  • If you are currently a Star 2 in Rising Stars for ME, you can request a waiver which would allow you to obtain a Star 3 by end of 2027. Star 2 licensed child care programs in Maine must have their waiver approved by June 1, 2026, so apply now.
  • Reach out to Jackie Hersom at Jacqueline.N.Hersom@maine.gov for a Star 2 waiver form.
  • Next reach out to your ECE Program Quality Specialist at Maine Roads to Quality for support with a Star 3 plan.

Programs that have applied for a Star 2 waiver or Star 3, 4, or 5 in Rising Stars for ME are encouraged to connect with their local SAU’s to initiate conversations about collaboration.

FCCAM has been informed that there will be targeted grants coming that will support programs to level up from Star 2 to 3. We do not have specifics on the release yet, but expect it to be by early Spring ’26.

FCCAM Professional Learning Committee has built checklists for Star 3 and Star 4 to help programs organize. You can download the checklist tables. If you have the FCCAM Everything Notebook they can be added into that. If you prefer digital here’s the link to spreadsheets for Star 3 &4.

Maine Department of Education and Office of Child and Family Services hosted a webinar on this transition. Here is a link to the recording of the webinar: https://youtu.be/wEDs_YHuJvU?si=o1y4pNgRQDAQbp_n

Here are the slides from the presentation and information memo:

Contacts for more specific questions: