The Interagency Plan for Children with Special Needs for Maryland residents has three major purposes: (1) to set priorities for developing or expanding services required by special needs children and their families; (2) to ensure that resources targeted for special needs children are administered effectively by increasing interagency coordination in planning, financing, case managing, and administering services; and (3) to establish an action agenda for state administrators, the general assembly, advocates, parents, and provider agencies. This document presents the plan in two major sections. One section discusses the continuum of services for children with special needs involving five major areas: primary prevention activities; early intervention services; evaluation, assessment, and diagnostic services; in-home and community services; and substitute care services. A second section discusses interagency issues in managing the continuum of children's services and considers children not covered in the plan; ongoing long-range planning; service planning and case management; community education regarding the availability of services; coordinated interface with private sector providers; transitioning services; interagency licensing and monitoring; and interagency rate setting. Appendices present: definitions of handicapped children (as defined by the Maryland State Department of Education); service definitions; and descriptions of programs administered by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Department of Human Resources, and the State Department of Education. (CB)