Gloucester County Special Services Education Foundation
Gloucester County Special Services Education Foundation (GCSSEF) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization organized and operated for the benefit of children and residents served by the Gloucester County Special Services School District. The Foundation was created in March 2000, by school officials, parents and the local business community. The Bankbridge Development Center (BDC) is a state-of-the-art facility located on the Gloucester County Education Campus in Sewell, NJ. It was designed and built to meet the needs of students classified on the autism spectrum, Asberger's Syndrome, Down Syndrome, ADHD and other related disabilities. The BDC is the hub for a full continuum of services to meet the needs of special education students in Southern NJ.
In September 2007, the BDC developed three programs including Respite (aka "Fun Fridays"), Social Skills Groups and Community Workshops. There is a county-wide funding gap, amongst the 28 school districts in Gloucester County, to be able to provide these educational and interactive programs within each individual district. In an effort to close this gap, regionalized programs have been designed by GCSSEF to augment resources, students and parents together, from the 28 districts.