Youth Programs receives high marks from accrediting council

  • Published
  • By Valerie Mullett
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs Office
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  The staff at the Malmstrom Youth Center were notified by e-mail Nov. 10 that they had earned accreditation from the Council on Accreditation. The COA is an independent not-for-profit international accreditor of full continuum of community-based behavioral health care and human service organizations.

In order to achieve the accreditation, Air Force Global Strike Command members of the Youth Center staff had to meet more than 160 standards in three areas set by the council.

"The process evaluates after-school programming and services; human resources; and program administration," said Dawn Beal, training and curriculum specialist at the Youth Center. "There are 30 main standards and 136 sub-standards. We had to meet each one."

Additionally, there was a self-study which included approximately 1,500 pages of written evidence that had to be submitted to prove they were meeting the standards, she said.

COA accreditation is an objective and reliable verification that provides confidence and support to an after school program's children and youth, parents, staff and community partners, according to the news release. The COA accreditation process involves a detailed review and analysis of both a program's administrative operations and its service delivery practices. All are measured against national standards of best practice, the release stated.

In receiving their notification, the council also commended Malmstrom on their efforts.

"I am delighted to inform you that Malmstrom AFB Youth Programs has been accredited," the e-mail stated. "In addition, Malmstrom AFB Youth Programs was expedited through the pre-commission review report process as a result of not receiving any out-of-compliance ratings in any of the fundamental practice or core standards." It called this task an "amazing achievement."

Receiving accreditation is also a significant achievement.

"By achieving accreditation, we are stating that we offer a school-age program of the highest quality and caliber. This process allows the program's stakeholders - staff, parents and youth - to evaluate the program," Ms. Beal said. "In doing so, we can identify areas needing improvement and design an improvement plan to implement and enhance program quality. Everyone plays a vital role in the process and when accreditation is achieved, it serves to validate everyone's hard work and dedication."

Malmstrom Youth Programs is also accredited by the National Afterschool Alliance.