§ 42-72-5.3. Accreditation.

(a)(1) The standards set by the Council on Accreditation (COA) are nationally recognized as best practices for protecting and providing services to abused and neglected children;

(2) Achieving and maintaining these standards requires a solid commitment from the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government;

(3) It is the intent of the general assembly to provide the resources for the department of children, youth and families to meet, achieve, and sustain accreditation by the Council on Accreditation.

(b) The department of children, youth and families shall initiate the process for seeking COA accreditation no later than September 1, 2019, and shall submit an accreditation plan to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, the chairperson of the house committee on health, education and welfare, the chairperson of the senate committee on health and human services, the chairpersons of the finance committees of the house and senate, and to the chairpersons of the judiciary committees of the house and senate no later than October 1, 2020. Said plan shall include, at a minimum, the following:

(1) Inputs, including updated staffing requirements, a timetable for achieving those requirements, and any additional costs associated with achieving accreditation;

(2) Outcomes, including an assessment based on statistical and other evidence, of the impact of accreditation on the number of abused and neglected children, the nature of their abuse, and the relationships between such children and their families.