Note: click on underlined events to link to additional information.

May:: 2013

• 27 -Memorial Day observed. Catholic Charities offices closed.

June:: 2013

July:: 2013

• 4 -Fourth of July observed. Catholic Charities offices closed.

August:: 2013

Happy Birthday Marie!

Decatur Catholic Charities Director Marie Rademacher recently celebrated her 85th birthday. Executive Director Steve Roach is picutured below wishing Marie a happy birthday on behalf of all Catholic Charities staff.

Adoption Records Change
On May 21, 2010, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation changing adoption records. It is now possible for an adult adoptee to obtain a non-certified copy of his or her original birth certificate under certain circumstances.
More information on this change is available from the following sources:

• Illinois Department of Public Health
  Division of Vital Records
  Attn: Illinois Adoption Registry
  925 E. Ridgeley Ave.
  Springfield, IL 62702-2737
  or at http://www.idph.state.il.us

• New Illinois Adoption Law website at http://www.newillinoisadoptionlaw.com

Catholic Charities Receives Top Ranking From Charity Navigator
Organization applauded for sound fiscal management
Alexandria, VA—Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), among the nation’s largest human services and disaster response networks, has received a Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator for its ethical and efficient management of donations and finances.

Charity Navigator, the nation’s most utilized independent evaluator of charities, awarded CCUSA top scores in categories such as accountability and transparency performance metrics.

“We are very pleased to be recognized and endorsed by Charity Navigator as a trustworthy, strong fiscally managed nonprofit organization,” said Rev. Larry Snyder, President of CCUSA. “We know how important it is for our donors to be able to count on us for the proper use of their generosity. The Charity Navigator rating gives them this assurance.”

For more information on the Charity Navigator rating system, visit the Charity Navigator website.

Catholic Charities Secures COA Reaccreditation Status

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois recently received notification that the agency has been reaccredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) through June 2017, according to a formal announcement made to Steven E. Roach, Catholic Charities Executive Director.

The COA accreditation process involves a thorough examination of the agency's compliance with best practice standards. The process includes a review of organizational standards, including human resources, financial and risk management, and continuous quality improvement, as well as numerous program and service standards. The service standards address a full array of social services, including counseling, family preservation and volunteer outreach programs, such as Decatur's Faith in Action.

“Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is proud to join COA's Community of Excellence that includes 1,500 private and public organizations that serve over 7,000,000 children, individuals, and families in the USA and Canada,” said Roach. “COA accreditation attests that Catholic Charities meets the highest national standards and is delivering the best quality services in communities where we serve.” He indicated that Catholic Charities was first accredited by the Council on Accreditation in 2000.

“COA’s mission is to promote best ¬practice standards, champion quality services for children, youth and families, and advocate for the value of accreditation,” states Richard Klarberg, President and CEO of the Council on Accreditation. The organization is an international, independent, not-for-profit accrediting body established in 1977, as an accrediting body of social and behavioral healthcare services. It is endorsed by leading consumer and professional groups and by many regulatory bodies and managed care organizations. COA is sponsored by a number of charitable organizations, including the Alliance for Children and Families, Catholic Charities USA, Lutheran Services in America, National Council For Adoption, and Prevent Child Abuse America.