Stepping Forward: How the Transition of CDS Services to School Districts is Changing Families’ Lives

RSU 35 students (photo credit: RSU 35)

Ask South Berwick parent Mary Hayes about this past year, and she would tell you that it has been “life-changing”—particularly for her adopted four-year-old, Matthew. Hayes took Matthew in through foster care when he was two years old and says he experienced some trauma early in life. When Matthew started attending daycare last year, he struggled behaviorally and did not do as well as her older son.

“My biggest concern was that he was becoming the ‘bad’ kid,” Hayes said. “[Matthew] was the only one getting kicked out of class. … I was like, ‘Oh no; great start to life.’”

Matthew was placed on a waiting list with Child Development Services (CDS) to receive one-on-one support, and Hayes admits that the wait her family experienced was frustrating. She said it was unclear how long it would be until Matthew got the services, which were essential before starting kindergarten. Hayes had to cut back on hours at her job to dedicate more time to caring for Matthew, taking a toll on her family financially and mentally. 

The “life-changing” moment that Hayes described came with a call one day from Scott Reuning, Director of Special Services at RSU 35. The school district had implemented universal pre-K for 50 years and made the decision to opt into Cohort 1 of the transition of Early Childhood Special Education services for children ages three through five from CDS to school administrative units (SAUs). As a result of this participation, Matthew could enroll in RSU 35.

“I’m not exaggerating when I say it was like a miracle,” Hayes said. “I cried. It was amazing.”

“I wasn’t aware of the pay-off I was going to get until it came,” Reuning said of the CDS transition.

Reuning explained that RSU 35 joined Cohort 1 just three weeks before the start of the 2024-2025 school year. While that tight turnaround was initially somewhat daunting, he said the district was able to get itself in place to begin welcoming children by the time school started. Reuning credited school leadership for being “all in” as a reason for that success.

Throughout the past year, RSU 35 has even been able to accept some children from neighboring districts, as well. Reuning said the feedback from parents about the services that their kids are receiving has been positive.

“Parents are extremely happy,” Reuning said.

RSU 35 students (photo credit: RSU 35)

The long-term benefits of providing these services to children at an early age was another reason that RSU 35 made the choice to join Cohort 1. RSU 35 IEP Coordinator Andrea Biniszkiewicz said that she has seen amazing progress in students so far and believes that will translate to when they are school-aged.

“As they get older, I think we’re going to see students have more skills because in the past, they weren’t always getting the services that they needed,” Biniszkiewicz said. 

RSU 35 teacher Laurie DuBois said she is grateful for the obvious benefits of the CDS transition in the moment, too—like having an opportunity to connect more closely with families.

“Enrichment, inclusivity, relationship, familiarity, consistency, community, and comfort are among many words that I describe as positive impacts,” DuBois said, later adding, “I am incredibly proud that RSU 35 became a Cohort 1 district to meet the critical needs for families within our community.”

Going into this coming school year, Matthew will be in the pre-K class at RSU 35. Hayes said that she is no longer worried about how he might do—and neither are his teachers.

“He feels good about himself. He thinks he’s smart; he wants to go to school. That’s a different kid,” Hayes said.

Hayes said ultimately, she is grateful for the immense support she has received from RSU 35 and hopes that her parent friends in other districts can receive similar help.

“Having all of these professionals who I felt like were on my team was a total game-changer,” Hayes said. “I felt like we were all a team looking out for Matty.”

RSU 35 and the Maine DOE Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education contributed to this article, written as part of a series highlighting the ongoing efforts of CDS and public schools in providing comprehensive educational services to Maine’s children with special needs. To submit a good news story to the Maine DOE, please fill out the good news submission form.