FAQ

Our most common questions are answered right here.

Q: What is the typical child Bridge2Excellence works with?

A: The typical child has special needs, such as cerebral palsy, Autism or learning disabilities, is impoverished and lives in a single parent household with multiple siblings.  They attend their neighborhood public school which is usually rated very poorly by the State of Florida.  The parents of these children are often very bright and knowledgeable about their children’s needs, but can not make it happen on their own.  The public school special education system is very complex and is based in laws and regulations which are beyond the knowledge of even the most educated parents, let alone parents who often lack a college education.

Q: What makes Bridge2Excellence different from other organizations that try to help disabled children?

A: Well, for starters, there are very few organizations or advocates who advocate for these children in school, probably because it’s highly specialized and labor intensive.  Allison Hertog, our founder, is one of only a handful of lawyers in the country who has a masters degree in special education.  She and our advocates have devoted their careers to helping disabled children.  We know how to make change happen.  Now we’re applying our expertise to the inner city.

Q:  That sounds great but what specifically do you do?  In other words, where’s my money going?

A: Good question.  Your donation is going to pay for our experienced advocates to participate in school meetings and negotiate at the highest levels of the school district to get specialized instruction and services for these kids.

Q: How much does it cost to fund advocacy for even one child?

A: The primary cost of our work is the time and dedication of our experienced advocates.  Our advocates pay themselves very little. During the 2016-2017 school year our advocates worked just under 50 hours to advocate for four parents. Our clients, who we verify are impoverished, pay absolutely nothing for our services.  With your help, I’m sure there’s many more kids and families we can serve.  To keep this work up our 501(c)(3) non-profit needs funding to support lots of advocates – who will be personally trained by Ms. Hertog – to help inner city kids and their parents.

• Here are some of the services we get for our clients.
  • Individualized instruction to help kids bridge the gap.
  • Therapies to address deficits in speech, behavior and fine motor skills.
  • Counseling
  • Public school transfer to a school that’s a better fit for our clients.

Q:  Tell me about your Board?

A: For information on our Board of Directors, which continues to expand, click here.

Q: What can I do?

A: Your donation of any amount will go a long way, but we suggest a gift of $100.  You can donate securely via the PayPal link at the top of the page.

Not finding what you want? Reach out directly through our Contact Us page.