Parents of children with special needs may find it easier to get medical services under the MaineCare program after settlement of a federal court case in Bangor.

Under the terms of the settlement, families who seek medical care through Child Development Services, an arm of the Maine Department of Education, must be informed that they may be eligible for services through MaineCare, the state's Medicaid program. MaineCare is administered by the state Department of Health and Human Services.

Child Development Services serves children age 5 and under. The agency uses different standards than the MaineCare program, which had led to bureaucratic difficulties for families who needed medical services for their children, according to the group Maine Equal Justice Partners.

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