“COA accreditation is one more way that we are demonstrating our commitment to children’s safety, permanence and long-term well-being,” explained Eric Bush, executive director, and 26-year veteran of Marion County Children Services. “COA accreditation is both a significant achievement and a powerful promise to the people of our community. We work hard every day to keep that promise.”

COA’s professional review team members Renee Sartin and Kittie Arnold compared agency data against national “best practice” standards. Areas covered included fiscal management, human resources, service delivery and planning, and continuous quality improvement.

During their on-site review, Sartin, who hails from Kentucky, noted, “It’s very obvious that you (Children Services) connect with the community. The collaboration is very unique in Marion County…with foster parents, adoptive parents, the magistrate, and so on. Everyone we talked to all feel…a true involvement with you.”

“You’re at the very top of the ladder,” added Arnold of Colorado. “And very few (organizations) reach that level.”

Bush noted that the agency is always striving to improve its operations.

“While we have confidence that our children are receiving excellent care from the staff and the community, we are always looking for insight and perspective on different approaches we could try in order to achieve even better outcomes,” he said. “Feedback from such a prestigious organization is always valuable and helps us continuously improve our methods and operations.”