"Caring for children in the Lowcountry since 1790"

Founded in 1790's, Carolina Youth Development Center is an important part of Charleston's historic and cultural heritage, a direct descendant of the Charleston Orphan House, America's first publicly funded orphanage.

Today, CYDC provides programs reaching over 600 children and youth locally each year. We care for young people with very serious problems, including physical and sexual abuse, neglect, abandonment, and severe emotional disorders.

Of the 600 children we serve, our Big Brothers Big Sisters program provides caring adult role models to 300 local children from single-parent families.