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Published: November 02 2011

Fort Lauderdale – The City of Fort Lauderdale Parks and Recreation Department has earned national accreditation from the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA).

The formal announcement was made at the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) 2011 Congress and Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia. The City of Fort Lauderdale Parks and Recreation Department is only one of 98 agencies in the country to receive national accreditation, which confirms an agency's commitment to quality and efficiency.

CAPRA recognizes park and recreation agencies for excellence in operation and service while providing assurance to the public that the agency meets national standards of best practice. CAPRA's standards for national accreditation provide an authoritative assessment tool for park and recreation agencies. Through compliance with the standards of excellence, CAPRA accreditation assures that an agency has been independently evaluated against established benchmarks as delivering a high level of quality.

National accreditation is a rigorous and extensive process, which the City of Fort Lauderdale Parks and Recreation Department has been working toward for two years. Accreditation is based on an agency's compliance with the 144 standards for national accreditation. To achieve accreditation, an agency must comply with all 36 fundamental standards and at least 85 percent of the remaining 108 standards. The City of Fort Lauderdale Parks and Recreation Department successfully met 142 standards.

CAPRA accreditation is the only national accreditation for park and recreation agencies. Accreditation is a five-year cycle that includes three phases: development of the agency self-assessment report, the on-site visitation, and the Commission's review and decision. Within each of the four years between on-site visits, the City of Fort Lauderdale Parks and Recreation Department must submit an annual report that addresses its continued compliance with the accreditation standards.

The City of Fort Lauderdale Parks and Recreation Department serves the seventh largest city in Florida with a population of nearly 180,000. Blessed with over 3,000 hours of sunshine each year and pleasant year-round ocean breezes, the agency offers premier opportunities for recreation, relaxation and enjoyment by providing a safe, superior environment and unique, quality programming for our diverse community.

For more information, please visit http://www.fortlauderdale.gov/life/news/2011/capra.htm.

About CAPRA

The Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies is a 13-member board composed of representatives from the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, the National Recreation and Park Association, the International City/Council Management Association, the Council of State Executive Directors, the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation, the National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials and the Armed Forces Recreation Society.

The Commission is administratively sponsored by the National Recreation and Park Association, but acts with independence and under its own authority in determining accreditation standards and conferring accreditation of applicant agencies.

For more information, please visit the National Recreation and Parks Association website at www.nrpa.org.