The Waccamaw Youth Center is committed to providing the at-risk youth of South Carolina with a safe and comforting place to call home.
Originally founded in 1988 as Advocating for Children's Community Treatment, the Waccamaw Youth Center was incorporated in April of 1991 in response to a study done by several state human service agencies. Each agency recognized a critical lack of housing for our target population. Most foster homes are unwilling to accept male teens and teens with a history of neglect and abuse are often among the most difficult to place. As an inevitable result, our target population is at particular risk of repeated moves between homes unsuitable to meeting their behavioral and emotional needs, or placement outside of their community. For teens already at-risk, this further disruption greatly compromises even the most well-intentioned efforts to assist in their families.
Waccamaw Youth Center opened in February of 2001 and has continued to provide "A Place to Call Home" for up to 16 abandoned, abused, and/or neglected youth. Since 2001, the Center has served over 200 young men! In this time, we have seen many of our youth grow up into honorable, hardworking men within our community.