COA - Council On Accreditation

	Social Development and Enrichment Services for Children and Youth

Introduction

Administration and Management

Service Delivery Administration Standards

Service Standards

Definition

Social Development and Enrichment Services engage children and youth in a variety of social, educational, and recreational activities appropriate to their needs, interests, and abilities. Organizations sometimes describe these services as positive youth development programs.

Note: This section of standards (SDE) should not be used by organizations whose accreditation agreements have been received by COA on or following August 1, 2009. Organizations should refer to COA's newly released standards for Youth Development Services (YD). Organizations that have begun their process using SDE may continue to do so, or can contact their COA Accreditation Coordinator if they are interested in using the new YD standards.

Note: Please see Self-Paced_Training: Social Development and Enrichment Services (SDE) in the Tools Index for additional assistance with this standard.

Research Note: Rather than focusing solely on the prevention or reduction of problem behaviors, 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. Accordingly, community-based programs for children and 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 become economically secure, personally and socially stable, and involved with their communities. Some research suggests that young people’s outcomes are related to the duration and intensity of their program participation. However, it is also important to recognize that children and youth grow up surrounded by their families and communities, and there are limits to the extent to which a single program can provide the supports and opportunities needed to achieve desired outcomes. Some literature also points to the importance of strengthening the entire community’s ability to support its children and youth, as referenced in SDE 7.


	PURPOSE: Children and youth who participate in Social Development and Enrichment Services gain the personal and social abilities and attitudes needed to form positive identities, build skills, navigate challenging situations, avoid negative behaviors, assume leadership roles, embrace diversity, and establish healthy connections with others in the community.

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.


	LEADERSHIP A nonprofit organization's leadership consists of its governing body, chief executive officer, and may also include its senior management. In a public agency the term refers to the agency head and administration team. The term "leadership" is not generally applied to for-profit organizations. With respect to COA standards, in for-profit organizations the term leadership applies to the owner and board of directors if one exists.


	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.


	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.


	RESEARCH For purposes of COA accreditation, all forms of internal or external research involving persons served except internal program evaluation and outcomes research, or educational projects performed by students and interns that are part of their professional training.