COA - Council On Accreditation

	Out-of-School Time Services

Introduction

Administration and Management

Service Delivery Administration Standards

Service Standards

Definition

Out-of-School Time Services engage school-age children and youth in a variety of social, educational, and recreational activities appropriate to their needs, interests, and abilities. Agencies may provide services at different times, including before school, after school, mid-day, and during school vacations, including summer vacations. They may also describe the services they provide using other terms, such as “after school” or “school age care.” As noted in the Glossary, children and youth between the ages of five and seventeen are considered to be of “school age.”

Note: When Standards Interpretations include multiple examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of a standard, every example will not necessarily be relevant and appropriate for every program or agency. Rather, the examples are intended to provide guidance, by illustrating a variety of different ways to show that a standard is being met. Standards may also be met in other ways not included in the lists of potential examples.

Note: This section of standards (PA-OST) should not be used by agencies whose accreditation agreements have been received by COA on or following July 1, 2010. Agencies should refer to COA's newly revised standards for Youth Development Services (PA-YD). Agencies that have begun their process using this section of standards may continue to do so, or can contact their COA Accreditation Coordinator if they are interested in using the new PA-YD standards.

Note: Please see Self-Paced_Training: Out-of-School Time Services (OST) 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 personally and socially stable, involved with their communities, and economically secure. Although some young people have more unmet needs than others, all children and youth may benefit from access to the supports and opportunities that promote resilience and healthy development.


	PURPOSE: Children and youth who participate in Out-of-School Time Services gain the personal and social abilities and attitudes needed to form positive identities, boost self-esteem, 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.


	SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN Children and adolescents legally required to attend school. COA does not provide specific age limits for this term; however "school-age" is generally considered to be between the ages of 5 - 17 years old.


	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.