ADVOCATING 4 KIDS INC

Who We Serve And Why

Advocate 4 Kids, Inc specializes & promotes Equitable Special Education Advocacy Services for Neurodiverse Students attending public schools. We provide direct and individualized special education advocacy services for parents frustrated by the special education process. As parents of children with disabilities, we pride ourselves on understanding the stress, heartache, and joy of raising a child with disabilities. We believe in Cultural Responsive Advocacy for Black and Brown Neurodivergent students and their families. We provide community training to public agencies that work with families of students with disabilities. These trainings help community agencies increase equity opportunities for their clients.

We Are Here To Support You!

We teach you how to advocate effectively for appropriate special education and related services. We attend IEP meetings with parents to assist in securing the services their children need. We file state and federal complaints against school districts that violate laws protecting students with disabilities. Additionally, we offer coaching services to empower parents with the knowledge and skills necessary to advocate at the IEP table.

We strive to:

Alleviate stress for parents during IEP meetings.
Assist parents in obtaining evaluations for related services.
Help parents understand the IEP and 504 processes.
Facilitate communication between parents and schools to resolve issues.
Recommend suitable accommodations.
Provide a supportive community and enriching training programs.
Our ultimate goal is to ensure parents feel supported and are well-informed to advocate for their child's educational needs effectively.

Our Mission

Our mission at Advocating 4 Kids, Inc is to pave pathways to success for neurodivergent students in public schools by removing barriers and creating a more equitable educational landscape. Through the provision of specialized advocacy services, comprehensive training programs, personalized coaching, and a robust supportive community, we aim to transform the special education process. We strive to be a resonating voice for parents, relieving the frustrations often experienced in this complex journey, and empowering them to champion their children's unique needs effectively.

Our Signature Framework

Action

Empowerment Workshops: Our workshops and training programs aim to equip parents with the essential knowledge, skills, and resources required to effectively advocate for their child's educational needs. This increased parental involvement leads to enhanced communication between home and school, as well as more personalized educational plans, resulting in a better chance of meeting the unique needs of every student.
Proactive Approach: We guide parents in taking proactive steps to secure the services their children need, such as attending IEP meetings and requesting evaluations for related services.
Problem Resolution: We assist parents in communicating with schools to resolve any issues and concerns regarding their child’s education.

Advocacy

Dispute Resolution Support: We file state and federal complaints against school districts that violate the rights of students with disabilities. We also assist Parents in Due Process hearings, and mediation, and provide expert testimony for Due process and court cases.
IEP Meeting Assistance: We attend IEP meetings with parents and make sure that their voices and concerns are documented, respected, and that actions are taken to support all the student's needs.
Special Education Rights: We educate parents on their and their children’s rights under the IDEA and Section 504, ensuring they are well-informed to advocate effectively.

Achievement

Goal Accomplishment: We aid parents in setting and achieving specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals for their children’s education.
Successful Modifications and Accommodations: We recommend and help implement effective modifications and accommodations tailored to each child’s unique needs, fostering an environment conducive to learning and development.
Community and Support: We provide a supportive community where parents can share experiences, gain insights, and find encouragement, enabling them and their children to overcome challenges and reach their full potential.

Happy Advocating

Black Voices Matter In Special Education Advocacy

We have experienced and witnessed horrible acts of racism & ableism by educators and IEP team members toward parents raising Black children with a disability when advocating. Our culturally responsive advocacy services help families stand up against these acts by IEP team members. We help you find your voice so you can.

About The Owner

Cheryl Poe is the founder and Executive Director of Advocating 4 Kids, Inc a Special Education Advocacy organization that provides resources, information, and workshops to parents and professionals with a special focus on addressing the needs of Black and Brown children with disabilities.

She is the past board president of the National Allies for Parents in Special Education NAPSE, a national parent-driven organization that works hard to increase access and quality advocacy resources for special education families from underserved populations to improve educational outcomes.

Mrs. Poe holds a Master of Arts Degree in Urban Education and Counseling. She also has completed over 15 credit hours of postgraduate hours in psychology. In June of 2004, she completed the Nation Group Psychotherapy Institute at the Washington School of Psychiatry in Washington D.C, in the study of Group Psychotherapy. Mrs. Poe completed a two-year term as the Student Outreach and Recruitment Committee Chairperson for the Mid-Atlantic Group Psychotherapy Society Board of Directors. She was awarded the Jefferson Cup for leadership in her role.

Mrs. Poe was the Chair of The National Association for the Education of African American Children with Learning Disabilities (NAEAACLD) Parent Network. Mrs. Poe also served on the board of the Council of Parents, Advocates, and Attorneys (COPAA), where she helped develop strategic goals to address the needs of Black people within the organization.
Mrs. Poe also served as the Co-Chair for the Social Racial Equity Committee, where she developed, created, and implemented activities to ensure the needs of Black and Brown Children were addressed and respected within the COPAA organization.

Mrs. Poe completed the inaugural The William & Mary Law Institute of Special Education Advocacy Summer Conference and the first annual class. Eventually Ms. Poe become a presenter for the William & Mary Law Institute of Special Education Advocacy Summer Conferences.

Mrs. Poe has been a presenter at various national disability organizations, such as the Autism In Black Conference, Dyslexia Alliance for Black Children presentation, Council of Parents, Advocates, and Attorney's Philadelphia Conference, and the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities Alumni Development Program (ADP) training session the Arc of Virginia and many many more national and local organizations.

Ms. Poe has work experience that includes over 20 years of working with children with various disabilities and their families as an In-home clinician and a therapeutic foster Case manager. Ms. Poe is the mother of two boys with learning disabilities & prides herself on understanding the struggles that black parents face when dealing with special education issues. Ms. Poe was diagnosed with ADHD and learning disabilities and received special education services as a Child!

Testimonials

"Cheryl! Without you this right here would have NEVER happened. My girl graduated with Honors! And at the top of her NJROTC Class... got early acceptance into ODU as a Psychology major and was accepted in the Army ROTC program. She just completed her freshman year with straight As and earned a full ride ROTC scholarship! In order to get accepted she could not use her IEPs which she didn't and she excelled .. why? Because you helped me fight for her rights as a parent to hold the school accountable to provide the services she deserved. Because of that she was able to learn skills to succeed beyond high school and this year was a test and we could never express our gratitude! 💕"

"I was amazed at how quickly Mrs. Poe acted on and resolved my situation! Her expertise and advocacy services exceeded my expectations by far. I believe her actions and assistance truly changed the course of my child’s future! Her dedication to creating change and being a strong voice for children is most impressive. Thank you for the work you are doing!"
R King