Amman, April 20 (Petra) -- The Ministry of Social Development and the Health Care Accreditation Council on Monday signed a cooperation agreement to develop a national accreditation program for care homes and centers, aimed at enhancing service quality and ensuring compliance with health standards.

According to a ministry statement, the agreement was signed by Minister of Social Development Wafaa Bani Mustafa and Executive Director of the council Salma Jaouni.

Bani Mustafa said the agreement is part of the ministry’s efforts to advance quality assurance systems in its care facilities in line with international best practices, describing it as a practical step toward improving services provided to beneficiary groups.

She added that the accreditation framework targets facilities serving vulnerable groups, including orphans, individuals without family support, persons with disabilities, and juveniles, with the aim of ensuring their safety, well-being, and access to quality care.

The minister said the initiative will initially cover 30 care homes and centers affiliated with the ministry, marking the launch of a comprehensive institutional framework for governance, quality control, and continuous performance evaluation. She noted that the move is expected to produce measurable improvements in service delivery.

Bani Mustafa said the agreement complements ongoing efforts to professionalize social work by establishing standards governing the practice of the profession, which will contribute to enhancing the quality and efficiency of services.

She highlighted the importance of partnering with the council as the national body mandated to grant accreditation, citing its expertise in developing evaluation systems based on internationally recognized methodologies, and expressed hope for expanding cooperation in the future.

For her part, Jaouni said the project represents a strategic milestone in strengthening accreditation systems within the social care sector, contributing to standardizing evaluation criteria and aligning them with global frameworks.

She added that the program will focus on developing practical and measurable assessment tools to ensure objective performance evaluation and support continuous, sustainable service improvement, ultimately enhancing the efficiency of care centers and the quality of services provided to beneficiaries.

//Petra// AJ