Carolina Youth Development Center has four cottages, one being the Callen Lacey Center for Children (CLCC). It is the only cottage located in Berkeley County.
A Brief History of Carolina Youth Development Center’s Callen-Lacey Center for Children
Carolina Youth Development Center’s (CYDC) Callen-Lacey Center for Children was established in response to a critical need identified by the 1992 Trident United Way Needs Assessment. The assessment identified several critical areas of focus for the community including supporting children in crisis. As a result, members of the community came together to form the Give Me Shelter Committee which would focus on addressing this important issue.
As a result of CYDC’s history and success serving the Lowcountry through its residential care and community-based programs, the Give Me Shelter Committee, Berkeley County office of the Department of Social Services (DSS) and Trident United Way asked CYDC to establish a shelter in Berkeley County to serve children in crisis.
With the support of individuals and businesses in the Berkeley County community including, Trident United Way, Roper St. Francis Healthcare, the Housing Trust Fund of SC and the Duke Endowment, funds were raised to build a new residential, group home in Moncks Corner that would provide a safe and nurturing environment to help youth and families reach their full potential.
Since its opening in 1998, CYDC’s Callen-Lacey Center for Children has been home to more than 900 children ranging in age from newborn to 17. Its doors stay open to serve children and youth 24-hours a day 365 days a year.
The center is dedicated to the memories of Dr. William H. Lacey and Mrs. Maude E. Callen. Dr. Lacey was a renowned, local, family practitioner who served the Berkeley County community for decades. Mrs. Callen, a nurse-midwife who served the Berkeley County community for much of her life, was also a member of the Berkeley County Department of Health as a public health nurse. Because of their legacy of over fifty years each of selfless giving to and caring for the citizens of Berkeley County, Callen-Lacey Center for Children strives to maintain the hope and desire that each child will be nurtured by that same spirit.
In close partnership with the South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS), CYDC assists in the transition of the child back to home or to a more permanent home environment. At capacity, 49 children ages birth to 21 can be housed in four CYDC facilities (including CES, Ledford and Nu House). The length of stay is typically decided by DSS and a dependency/juvenile court judge, with stays ranging from a few days to a few years. In 2019 the median stay was 143 days per child. CYDC’s programs have been continuously accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) since 1980.
Today, CYDC’s Callen-Lacey Center for Children remains an integral part of the Lowcountry community.
