COA - Council On Accreditation

	Youth Development Services

Introduction

Administration and Management

Service Delivery Administration Standards

Service Standards

Definition

Youth Development Services engage school-age youth in a variety of social, educational, and recreational activities appropriate to their needs, interests, and abilities; promote the development of positive relationships with adults and peers; and provide a physically and emotionally safe environment for young people to spend their out-of-school time hours. Organizations may provide services at different times, including before school, after school, mid-day, on weekends, and during school vacations, including summer vacations. They may also describe the services they provide using other terms, such as “after school,” “school age care,” or “out-of-school time” programs. As noted in the Glossary, youth between the ages of five and eighteen are considered to be of “school age.”

Note: Youth Development (YD) Services replaces Out-of-School Time Services (OST) and Social Development and Enrichment Services for Children and Youth (SDE). It has been adapted from COA’s After School Program Standards, which can be found at www.coaafterschool.org, to address the diverse array of programs dedicated to meeting the developmental needs of youth in a positive, out-of-school time setting. Organizations interested in learning about Dual Accreditation (8th Edition and After School Program Accreditation) should contact COA's Client Relations Department if they are not currently pursuing (re)accreditation or their Accreditation Coordinator if they are currently in process.

Note: When Standards Interpretations include multiple examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of a standard, every example will not necessarily be relevant and appropriate for every program or organization. Rather, the examples are intended to provide guidance by illustrating a variety of different ways to show that a standard is being met. Standards may also be met in other ways not included in the lists of potential examples.

Research Note: Positive youth development emphasizes the importance of helping young people develop the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical assets that can help them transition to responsible adulthood, rather than focusing solely on the prevention or reduction of problem behaviors. Accordingly, community-based programs for youth are often designed to provide the supports and opportunities that may help young people have positive developmental experiences and improve the long-term chances that they will be personally, emotionally and socially stable, involved in their communities, and economically secure. Although some young people have more unmet needs than others, all youth may benefit from access to the supports and opportunities that promote resilience and healthy development.


	PURPOSE: Youth who participate in Youth Development Services gain the personal and social assets needed to support healthy development, increase well-being, and facilitate a successful transition through childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood.

RELATED FILES


	SERVICE One or more organization-operated programs or activities that have a common general objective and deploy the organization's material and human resources in a planned and systematic manner. An organization that publicly promotes or identifies itself in writing as offering a service, is licensed to deliver a service, assigns personnel and/or space to a service, or allocates financial resources to a service is considered to offer that service.


	PROGRAM A system of services offered by an organization. For example, an organization providing a mental health service may offer several mental health programs to different populations, e.g., a mental health program for adolescent teens. The word "program" can be used interchangeably with the word "service" or to describe specific programs.


	ACCREDITATION The formal evaluation of an organization against accepted criteria or standards. A professional society, non-governmental organization, or a governmental agency may conduct accreditation activities. A COA-accredited organization has undergone a period of rigorous self-study and is capable of providing programs and services that meet or exceed COA standards.


	PREVENTION Actions taken to minimize and/or eliminate social, psychological, or other conditions. Prevention can occur at the individual, group, community, and societal levels and enhances opportunities to achieve positive fulfillment.


	COMMUNITY A specific group of people living in the same locality and who may share a common culture, values, and norms. Communities can also be defined by race, religion, ethnicity, age, occupation, political status, tribal affiliation, interest in particular problems or outcomes, or other common bonds. The term "community" encompasses worksites, schools, tribes, residential neighborhoods, business districts, recreational areas, and health and human service sites.


	CLIENT See service recipient.