PCHAS Earns National Accreditation Once Again

Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services (PCHAS) has, once again, achieved nationwide accreditation through the Council on Accreditation (COA). PCHAS provides foster care and adoption services as well as early interventions such as counseling, mentoring and self-sufficiency programs for at-risk parents and young adults.  Reaching this level affirms that PCHAS is among the best in the field.

COA accreditation is an independent validation of an agency’s performance. It involves a rigorous process of documentation and analysis of administration, management and service delivery functions against international standards of best practice. Setting the bar high, it recognizes accountability in the management of resources, sets standards for administration and increases organizational capacity and accountability.

PCHAS President David Thompson comments, “COA’s whole-organization approach ensures that everyone—from human resources to finance to direct care and clinical staff—is working together to carry out our mission.” He commended the agency staff for “delivering the very best possible services to strengthen families by treating them with Christ-like compassion.”

Overseeing the accrediting process was Senior Vice President of Organizational Impact Randy Spencer. “I am proud to be part of an organization that values excellence enough to voluntarily invest in an accreditation process,” Spencer says. “Over the years, our team has created or updated practices, policies and procedures to meet dozens of nationally recognized standards.”

The agency trains its staff in evidence-based methods to provide permanent homes for children and improve self-sufficiency for families. It offers residential and community-based services to children and families, regardless of religion or financial standing, with an emphasis on trauma-informed care. PCHAS has grown from one orphanage founded in 1903 to 28 locations across three states.