School-Age Accreditation (COA)

Maine Roads Accreditation Application for School-Age Programs

Maine Roads to Quality supports school age programs seeking Accreditation through the Council on Accreditation (COA).

COA Accreditation will help to guide school age programs through the self study process. The ASQ kit (Advancing School-Age Child Care Quality) provides tools such as the COA Accreditation Standards of Quality and resources to help programs assess their readiness for accreditation:

Does your program have the following in place:

• A program community that has a shared vision of what it wants to accomplish for the children and youth it serves.
• Staff who build warm relationships with children and cooperative relationships with each other.
• Training for staff on topics which affect their work.
• High priority on welcoming families as partners in their child’s growth and the program’s development.
• Indoor space that is cozy and comfortable, and works well for different children’s needs.
• Outdoor space that allows children to be independent and creative.
• Responsibility for the safety, health and nutrition of the children in your program.
• Activity choices for children which reflect their interests and needs, their cultural backgrounds, developmental levels and personalities.
• Administrative systems that fully support the program.

-ASQ Team Leader’s Manual, p. 3

If the answer is yes, you may be ready for ASQ. This is a five step process that helps you, and a team of people committed, examine the quality of your program and make the changes that will lead to better practices.

The Five Steps in the ASQ Process include:

Step 1: Getting Ready for Program Improvement

Step 2: Preparing the ASQ Team

Step 3: Gathering Information

Step 4: Creating the Action Plan

Step 5: Taking Action

Every program can benefit from the ASQ Self-study process. Programs should use the Program Observation Instrument to rate how closely their program meets the standards of quality in the six categories of: Human Relationships, Outdoor Environment, Indoor Environment, Activities, Safety, Health and Nutrition, & Administration. When a program has completed self study or ASQ, they can apply for accreditation. Endorsers from COA will visit the program and review documentation to determine if the program has successfully met the standards for accreditation.

For more information: regarding the Council on Accreditation and COA Accreditation, or to become a member of the COA, go to their website at www.coaafterschool.org

To inqure about COA Accreditation support through Maine Roads to Quality Accreditation Facilitation Project, please contact Pam Prevost, COA Accreditation Facilitator at 333-6402 or pprevost@community-concepts.org To apply for an application to become part of a statewide cohort of school age programs pursuing School Age Accreditation together with Maine Roads to Quality support, you can download an application.

MRTQ Accreditation Project:

• Email and phone
• Onsite visits and observations for technical assistance
• Connection with providers who are accredited
• Cohort support
• Funding to support accreditation as funding allows

All cohort members must be a member of the Maine Roads to Quality Registry and the Council on Accreditation.