Contact: Cindy Ardis Jenkins

Title: Communications Coordinator

Phone: (309) 687-7205

December 21, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHILDREN’S HOME ACHIEVES ACCREDITATION

Peoria, IL —  The Children’s Home is proud to announce that it has been reaccredited by the Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children, Inc. 

The accreditation process involves an in-depth examination of the organization’s compliance with best practice standards.  The process includes a review of organizational standards including human resources, financial and risk management and continuous quality improvement as well as thirty-nine service standards.  The service standards address a full array of child, family and behavioral healthcare services including financial and debt management, employee assistance program, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, foster care, health service areas and a host of other service areas.  

Accreditation by COA attests that an organization meets the highest national standards and is delivering the best quality services to the community it serves.  Children’s Home Association of Illinois is proud to join COA’s Community of Excellence that includes more than 1,000 public and private organizations that serve over 6,000,000 children, individuals and families in the United States and Canada. 

COA is an international, independent, not-for-profit accrediting body that was incorporated as a separate legal entity in August 1977 as an accrediting body of social and behavioral healthcare services.  COA’s mission “promotes best-practice standards; champions quality services for children, youth and families, and advocates for the value of accreditation.”

COA is endorsed by leading consumer and professional groups and by many regulatory bodies and managed care organizations and is sponsored by the Alliance for Children and Families, Association of Jewish Family and Children’s Agencies, Catholic Charities USA, Child Welfare League of America, Foster Family-based Treatment Association, Lutheran Services in America, National Council for Adoption, National Foundation for Credit Counseling, National Network for Youth and Prevent Child Abuse America.