Exciting News from Adoption RI!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

For Further Information Contact:
Donna Rivera, Adoption Rhode Island Tel: 401-865-6000 • Cell: 617-549-2621 Email drivera@adoptionri.orgAdoptionRI.org
Release Date: April 2026

Adoption Rhode Island Achieves National Accreditation from the Council on Accreditation

Providence, RI — Adoption Rhode Island (ARI) is proud to announce that it has achieved national accreditation from the Council on Accreditation (COA), an independent nonprofit organization that sets rigorous standards for service delivery and organizational excellence in the human services field.

This prestigious accreditation affirms ARI’s commitment to providing high-quality, ethical, and effective services to children, youth, and families across Rhode Island. The COA accreditation process involves a comprehensive review of an organization’s administration, management, and service delivery practices, ensuring alignment with best practice standards.

“Achieving COA accreditation is a significant milestone for our organization,” said CEO and Executive Director Darlene Allen of Adoption Rhode Island. “It reflects the dedication of our staff, the strength of our programs, and our unwavering commitment to creating safety, permanency, and belonging for the children and families we serve. It truly is my honor and privilege to lead an organization with such a vital role in our state.”

COA accreditation demonstrates that Adoption Rhode Island operates with a strong foundation of accountability, transparency, and continuous quality improvement. It also signals to partners, funders, and the community that ARI meets nationally recognized standards of excellence.

“The Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth & Families deeply values our partnership with Adoption Rhode Island, whose dedicated staff shares our strong belief in the transformative power of a loving family—and a commitment to nurturing, belonging, and healing,” said DCYF Director Ashley Deckert, MSW, MA. “COA accreditation affirms what we have long known: Adoption Rhode Island’s skilled professionals bring integrity and care to their work. They hold themselves to a high standard in serving children, young adults, and families who have experienced foster care and adoption.”

“This accomplishment is not just about meeting standards—it’s about exceeding them for the benefit of the children and families who rely on us every day,” added Allen. “We remain committed to growing, learning, and strengthening our impact in the community.”

Along with this major achievement, in recent months, ARI is proud of our recognition and achievement of:

• The national Phoenix Award by the RightWay Foundation

• Selection by Rhode Island’s Continuum of Care to be the backbone agency for RI’s Youth Action Board

• Re-achievement of meeting all standards to be an accredited charity with the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance (BBB WGA)

• Achievement of “Solid Foundation for Inclusion Tier” status from the national Human Rights Campaign
Foundation’s ‘All Children All Families’ program.

Adoption Rhode Island provides a range of services including adoption, foster care support, family preservation, and youth engagement initiatives, young adult services and more. The organization has long been a leader in advocating for and supporting vulnerable children, teens, young adults and families throughout the state.

For more information about Adoption Rhode Island and its programs, please visit their website at AdoptionRI.org or email adoptionri@adoptionri.org.