Friday, June 30, 2006
Contact: Jessica Robinson, 573-751-0290
Blunt Commends Children's Division for Accreditation Milestone
JEFFERSON CITY–Gov. Matt Blunt today announced that the Department of Social Services' Children's Division central administration and hotline have received national accreditation.
Achieving accreditation from the Council of Accreditation (COA) is a noteworthy accomplishment and involved intensive work and collaborative efforts from these two elements of the state's child welfare system.
“Protecting Missouri's children is a high priority of my administration. I commend the Children's Division for their diligent work to earn this national accreditation,” Blunt said. “While there is much work ahead, this is a positive affirmation that the division is moving in the right direction.”
The COA is an international, independent, not-for-profit accrediting body that accredits behavioral health care and social service programs. Its rigorous accrediting process reviews all aspects of an organization and evaluates them based on national standards of best practices.
A panel of three reviewers from Illinois, Maine and Washington found the division's central administration and hotline to be in compliance with each of the major categories for the 832 standards with which an agency must comply to be accredited. The division had to meet service standards in adoption services, child protection services and family-centered casework as well as standards in general areas such as ethical practice, financial management, behavioral management and organizational integrity.
Children's Division Director Paula Neese said, “These are important steps in the accreditation process. Each local jurisdiction will go through a similar process of strengthening their practices; the goal is for the entire system to be accredited. Accreditation is making us a stronger, more professional organization to meet the incredible demands placed on the child welfare system as we work with communities in the fight to protect Missouri's children. I want to thank our staff for the tremendous work they have done to get us this far and all they are continuing to do to make us a stronger, better child welfare organization.”
Gov. Blunt has strongly supported the accreditation plan which began in 2004 when then-House Speaker Catherine Hanaway sponsored a landmark children's services reform bill including accreditation for the Children's Division.
The state's accreditation plan spans a five year period, with central office, the hotline and four regional circuits to undergo scrutiny in the first phase. The states' remaining circuits will be evaluated circuit by circuit over the next few years. The state's child protection system is organized around Missouri's 45 judicial circuits.
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