FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Kristin Derlunas
Northern Virginia Family Service
Community/Media Relations
703-219-2123, kderlunas@nvfs.org

NVFS Receives Reaccreditation from Independent Organization
Agency Is One of Only Four Others in Northern Virginia

Oakton, Va., Dec. 2, 2004-Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS) announced that it received reaccreditation from the Council on Accreditation (COA), an international, independent, non-profit, child- and family-service accrediting organization.
NVFS is one of only four organizations in Northern Virginia, and one of only 22 in Virginia, that is accredited by COA. According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are 3,405 social welfare non-profit organizations in Virginia.
“We are proud to again receive this important acknowledgement. It demonstrates the exceptional quality of services NVFS provides, as well as the integrity of the agency’s programs and management. Few organizations are able to obtain this prestigious recognition,” said Mary Agee, NVFS president and CEO.

“I commend all NVFS employees for their hard work and dedication, because it is they who set the high standards and best practices that this accreditation represents. In turn, they help NVFS to fulfill our mission and serve more than 27,000 families and individuals each year,” she said.
Based on rigorous and internationally recognized standards of excellence, COA accreditation is widely recognized by state and national organizations as an accrediting body with the capacity, scope and ability to contribute significantly to the improvement of the behavioral health, child welfare and other human service fields.
NVFS was the first organization in Northern Virginia to receive accreditation, which took place in the late 1970’s. Since that time, NVFS completes a comprehensive site visit and self-study every four years.
Approximately one year prior to the official site visit, a comprehensive self-study manual must be prepared and submitted. This manual documents the organization’s assessment of and compliance with COA’s generic organizational and management best practice standards, as well as each program’s service-specific standards. Employees, stakeholders, persons served and the community are also asked to provide input, through a survey tool, on the organization’s compliance. Once the self-study is reviewed by a team of COA Peer Reviewers, and the site visit is completed, the team’s ratings and recommendations for accreditation are presented to the Accreditation Commission.
Established in 1924, Northern Virginia Family Service is a private, non-profit community service resource dedicate to helping individuals and families find new paths to self-reliance and brighter futures. Each year, NVFS helps more than 27,000 people find affordable housing and health care for their children, avoid or recover from debt, earn a living wage and much more. For more information, visit www.nvfs.org.

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