This November, Children’s Attention Home received expedited national re-accreditation through the Council on Accreditation. For the past 18 months, the Children’s Attention Home has been pursuing national re-accreditation, including first-time accreditation for youth independent living services.
"We are so proud to have achieved expedited reaccreditation through the Council on Accreditation!" says Executive Director Emily Parrish. "The accreditation process is quite an undertaking, but it so rewarding to have our policies and procedures compare favorably to internationally recognized best practices. This is one more way the Children's Attention Home ensures the best quality care for the children we serve."
The accreditation process is rigorous test of teamwork, discipline and quality across an organization’s programs and administration. The Home received its initial accreditation status for group living services in November 2017.
"Successfully obtaining COA reaccreditation is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and heart of the Children's Attention Home leadership and staff," shared Board Chair Adam Smith. "Obtaining reaccreditation in the midst of economic uncertainty, programmatic changes, and a global pandemic further signifies the strength of this organization and its leaders."
COA accreditation is an objective, independent, and reliable validation of an agency’s performance. The COA accreditation process involves a detailed review and analysis of an organization’s administration, management, and service delivery functions against international standards of best practice. The standards driving accreditation ensure that services are well-coordinated, culturally competent, evidence-based, outcomes-oriented, and provided by a skilled and supported workforce. COA accreditation demonstrates accountability in the management of resources, sets standardized best practice thresholds for service and administration, and increases organizational capacity and accountability by creating a framework for ongoing quality improvement.
To achieve COA accreditation, Children’s Attention Home first provided written evidence of compliance with the COA standards. Thereafter, a group of specially trained volunteer Peer Reviewers confirmed adherence to these standards during a series of on-site interviews with trustees, staff and clients. Based on their findings, COA’s volunteer-based Accreditation Commission voted that Children’s Attention Home had successfully met the criteria for accreditation.
An endorsement of COA and the value of its accreditation process is reflected in it being named by the US State Department as the sole national independent accrediting body under the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption to accredit intercountry adoption service providers. In addition, COA is the only national accreditor designated by the U.S. Department of Defense to develop accreditation standards and processes for human service programs provided to military personnel and their families.
About the Children’s Attention Home
The Children’s Attention Home provides a safe and nurturing home for abused and neglected children. Located in York County, the Home serves children ages birth to 21 all across South Carolina, offering safe shelter, compassionate support and individualized care to help every child build a foundation for success. Since it’s inception in 1970, the Home has served over 7,500 children with loving care and attention. For more information about the Children’s Attention Home and available opportunities to support, visit attentionhome.org or call 803-328-8871.
About COA
Founded in 1977, COA is an independent, not-for-profit accreditor of the full continuum of community-based behavioral health care and social service organizations in the United States and Canada. Over 2,000 organizations — voluntary, public, and proprietary; local and statewide; large and small — have either successfully achieved COA accreditation or are currently engaged in the process. Presently, COA has a total of 47 service standards that are applicable to over 125 different types of programs. To learn more about COA, please visit www.COAnet.org.