Jewish Family & Children's Service Granted COA Accreditation Again

Following a year of hard work and preparation, Jewish Family & Children’s Service (JFCS) received its Council on Accreditation (COA) re-accreditation on March 8, 2023. The JFCS team has been undergoing evaluation over the past several months to ensure its program policies and practices comply with COA standards. The COA accreditation is a testament that JFCS is among those that provide the highest quality of services in its field.

What Is COA?
Founded in 1977, the Council on Accreditation (COA) is an international nonprofit organization that accredits human and social service providers in best practices for child welfare, behavioral health and community-based human and social service providers.

How Does the Accreditation Process Work?
COA accreditation applies to social services provided by both nonprofit and for-profit businesses and requires an extensive review of the entire organization including their services, administration and management functions. Accreditation is good for four years.

The process for accreditation takes anywhere from 12-18 months and includes the following:

In-Depth Review
COA conducts a thorough review of the organization. The review process includes comparing the organization and its programs against best practices. Once this process is complete, a decision is made by the accrediting body.

Site Visit
A COA review team visits the organization to verify that standards are being implemented properly. The site visit is conducted over several days and multiple areas are addressed including a document review, facility and program observations and interviews with staff and clients.

A COA accreditation indicates the programs at JFCS are designed and delivered in a way that provide the highest level of quality care and excellence. It also helps to establish best practices and ensure our services provide the best outcomes for those we serve. Countless hours of hard work and the dedication of many people – most notably JFCS staff and the members of our board and leadership – went into the COA accreditation fulfillment.

For more information about the COA accreditation process, visit their website.