The Child Welfare Division of Westchester County’s Department of Social Services has received national accreditation, verifying that the services provided to protect children meet the highest standards and are among the nation’s best.     

The designation comes from the Council on Accreditation (COA), one of the largest and most respected international accrediting agencies, which performed a survey of the agency in the fall and recently announced the department’s new designation. COA accreditation means providers have achieved high performance standards and made a commitment to deliver the highest quality services.

“The recent accreditation of the Child Welfare Division of the Department of Social Services by the Council on Accreditation validates the fact that the county’s most vulnerable children are receiving services that meet or exceed nationally established standards of excellence,” said Richard Klarberg, president and CEO of the Council on Accreditation. “This significant achievement reflects the dedication and commitment by the leadership and staff of the Division to protect the safety and well-being of these children.”

Westchester’s Child Welfare Division is the first public agency in New York State to receive COA accreditation and is among an elite few nationwide, according to DSS Commissioner Kevin McGuire.

“This shows that when it comes to serving and protecting children, the county’s social service programs are among the best in the nation in terms of professionalism, efficiency and value,” said County Executive Robert P. Astorino. “This was a team effort and the entire staff is to be congratulated.”

McGuire noted that statewide accreditation is the gold standard and to be approved the first time around is a great accomplishment.
                                                                             
“This is especially true when it comes to child welfare, which arguably is the most challenging component of a social services operation,” McGuire said. “Receiving the accreditation is a validation of the great work being done every day by our child welfare staff.”

The Child Welfare Division covers Child Preventive Services, Foster Care, Preventive Services and Adoption Services.

Astorino noted that the greatest expenditure in the county’s budget is for programs run by the Department of Social Services (which is the county’s largest in terms of both staff and budget). Despite economic challenges, the Astorino administration was able to hold DSS’ 2011 budget to the 2010 level of $575  million. In fact, direct aid to the needy was actually increased by $6  million as a result of management  initiatives to reduce overhead and deliver services more efficiently.
   
“This shows a solid commitment to the county’s safety net,” Astorino said. “We’ve had to make some cuts but we’ve made sure that any reductions focus on duplications, overhead and inefficiency, not services.”

The county voluntarily underwent a rigorous and objective evaluation to determine whether its programs and services met or exceeded national best practice standards. The COA accreditation process involves a detailed review and analysis of both an organization’s administrative operations and its service delivery practices.  All are “measured” against national standards based on best practices that include accessibility, appropriateness, cultural responsiveness, and outcomes. In addition, they confirm that the services are provided by a skilled workforce and that all individuals are treated with dignity and respect.

COA notes that the entire organization is reviewed and accredited, not just specific programs, so it gives confidence in the credibility, integrity and achievement of the entire organization.

COA accredits public agencies that provide a broad array of services and breaks them into seven main areas: aging, alcohol/substance abuse, child welfare, developmental disabilities, employee assistance programs, mental health, and local management entities/lead agencies.