Carolina Youth Development Center history

In November 1910, the Charleston Orphan House welcomed President William Howard Taft to Charleston.

In 1928 a stained glass window depicting Jesus blessing the children was gifted to the Charleston Orphan House in honor of one of its alumni and commissioners.

In 1951 almost 151 years after the house on Calhoun Street was open, city commissioners decided to purchase 37 acres of land in North Charleston and move the Charleston Orphan House to a new location.

Continuing to develop, the Charleston Orphan House separated from the city and became an independent non-profit organization on June 30, 1978.

Accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) continuously since 1980, CYDC is a funded partner of Trident United Way, and a member of Child Welfare League of America, the Palmetto Association for Children and Families and the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities.

In March 1981 the Oak Grove Child Care Center merged with two other local nonprofit organizations serving children and youth in the Lowcountry.

In the early 1990’s Trident United Way completed a Needs Assessment that identified critical areas of focus for the community, including supporting children in crisis.

In 1998 the Callen-Lacey Center for Children opened its doors, located in Moncks Corner.

In 2019 CYDC completed the renovation of NuHouse, located on the North Charleston campus and opened it with a focus on providing youth ages 17-21 with the tools and resources necessary to succeed as independent adults.