Do casting directors 'discover' child actors out in public?
I've heard it happen. I personally have never discovered a kid on the street that's become a star. We've done real people casting where we found a kid who's an incredible skateboarder and we happened to be out looking for skateboarders. That's a situation, yes. Sometimes print agents, or print casting directors, will find a specific looking child that has amazing features, and I've heard of that too, but I would be leery of anyone coming up to me, and my children personally, and saying "Here's my card, I want to... " As a parent, you just have to assess it out. Call and check their credentials.