Welcome to the Council on Accreditation After School Standards website. This website includes many useful resources and features to guide you and your program in reviewing and implementing the COA After School standards.

Accessible and open to anyone with Internet access, the After School Accreditation Standards includes a full set of COA’s standards for after school programs, including Administration and Management, Human Resources Administration, and After School Program Service standards. As you browse through the standards, you will also discover many unique features and resources.

Print:	Click on the printer and a PDF version of the section you're viewing will be dynamically generated. Select "print" from your menu bar to print the section(s) in which you are interested.
Updates:	As practice evolves and changes within a given field, standards will be dynamically updated and will include the effective date so that you can easily reference the change.
Glossary:	Click on any word underlined in blue within the standards and a pop-up box will reveal the first part of the definition. Click on the term within the pop-up box and you'll be directed to the glossary to see the full definition.
Bookmark:	Click on the bookmark button and the page you're viewing will automatically be saved in your bookmarks section until you decide to remove it.
Related Standards:	Click on any standard(s) underlined in red under another standard to see their relationship. Related standards allow you and your colleagues to integrate functions and activities throughout your organisation or agency.
Related Files:	All sections of the standards include useful tools and resources that can be found in the Related Files section, such as Reference Lists, an Assessment Matrix, and charts and forms for the accreditation process. Click on the file to open, review, save and/or print.

When you begin pursuing recognition under the After School Standards (Phase 2 or Phase 3), you will be registered for a My COA account. Only active in-process COA customers are eligible for a My COA account. My COA includes a personal log-in and homepage and useful tools for all relevant staff working on the recognition process at your program. To ensure consistency in communication throughout the recognition process, My COA includes functionality that allows internal staff to share a common set of applicable standards, to dialogue about the standards with each other and COA, and to save these conversations. Your COA Coordinator will activate and set up your account, and provide guidance on using the additional resources and features of My COA.

The After School Guidelines provide practical guidance to prepare you for each phase of the process. It is your roadmap for achieving after school recognition by COA. The Guidelines include information on starting the recognition process, understanding the standards, demonstrating implementation, assembling the Self-Study, preparing for the site visit, receiving and responding to feedback, and celebrating and sustaining recognition. The Guidelines also include resources and documents that you will need during the process, such as questionnaires and instructions for assembling your Self-Study. Read the Guidelines thoroughly and frequently, and contact your COA After School Coordinator with any questions.

The Updates section provides you with an opportunity to view an archive of all significant changes and revisions to the standards, including the old and new versions of a standard, to whom it’s applicable, and its effective date.

The Tools Index is a one-stop resource for programs which contains a wide variety of tip-sheets, document templates, self-paced trainings, checklists and other tools. The tools contained in the index are designed to help your program better understand the standards and successfully navigate the recognition process.

The Glossary includes definitions for a comprehensive list of terms that are used throughout the standards. When you are unclear about the interpretation of a standard, a glossary term used within the standard can provide meaningful elaboration.