Children's Attention Home receives expedited accreditation
Children's Attention Home received expedited national accreditation through the Council on Accreditation just two days after the official site visit. The typical turnaround time for organizations to receive feedback from the national accrediting body is approximately four weeks following the official site visit.
"We are beyond excited," says Executive Director Debra Eident. "Our team has been working incredibly hard for the past 12-18 months to ensure our practices lined up with the best in the business. We have always given good quality care to the precious children and youth we serve. Now, we have proof."
The accreditation process is rigorous test of teamwork, discipline and quality across an organization's programs and administration. For the past 18 months, the Children's Attention Home has been pursuing national accreditation, currently not required by the state of South Carolina for group homes.
"We are grateful for the substantial review by COA," says Board Chair Dr. Cheryl Fortner-Wood. "Their expedited decision to accredit the Children’s Attention Home provides the highest external validation of the great work our staff, leaders, and volunteers do to provide a safe and nurturing home for children who need it the most."
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.