Is Carolina Children's Home an orphanage?
No, CCH is not an orphanage. We are best described as a private, non-profit, nondenominational residential treatment facility that provides counseling and therapeutic services to abused and abandoned children ranging from ages 6 to 21 years.

Where do your residents come from?
CCH accepts residents from every county in the state of South Carolina. The majority of our clients are in the custody of the State of South Carolina. Some representative agencies are the Department of Social Services, Department of Mental Health, Managed Treatment Services, Continuum of Care, or the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs.

How many residents do you have? What is the average age of a CCH resident? What is the gender/racial breakdown of your residents?
CCH has a maximum of 92 placements in our residential programs. CCH is licensed to care for children as young as 6 and as old as 21. However, the average age of our residents is 14 years old. We have a very small population of children ages 10 to 13; most of our residents are between 14 and 18 years old. The gender breakdown of our residents is 59% male and 41% female.  Of our residents 49% are African American, 34% are Caucasian; and 17% are of other races. 

What is the length of stay at the Home?
The average length of stay for a CCH resident depends on the treatment program they are completing, but it is extremely rare for a resident to stay with us for more than two years. For example, the average length of stay for moderate management is six to nine months but can be as much as two years for low management.

How many counselors do you have per resident?
The number of counselors per resident is known as staff-to-client ratio. The staff-to-client ratio depends on the treatment program in which the resident is being served and the time of day and can range from 1:4 to 1:12.

What shifts does your staff work?
Our office staff is the only group that works a traditional 9-to-5 shift. All of our residential counselors and program staff must work the hours that our residents need them. Our shifts depend on the cottage and program, and they are based on the required staff-to-client ratio described above. Some counselors work 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., some work 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and some work 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. We also have various overnight and weekend shifts. The thing to remember is that someone is always working at Carolina Children's Home. We also have on-call emergency staff at all times.

Do residents have an opportunity to be reunited with their families?
The majority of our residents have been removed from their families. Some have been placed by their families to help them get the treatment they need, with the intention of the child being returned to the family once treatment is completed. A very small percentage of residents may be reunited with their family of origin, provided the family has been cooperative in pursuing family counseling and working on the problems that caused the child to be removed from that family in the first place. However, most of our residents, who are older teenagers, are more likely to grow up and go out on their own rather than be returned to a family setting.

How many residents will go to college?
Former CCH residents have been enrolled in a variety of institutions including but not limited to Columbia College, Midlands Technical College, South Carolina State University, Benedict College, Johnson & Wales and the University of South Carolina. Students interested in pursuing higher education are assisted by a number of scholarships established by CCH donors as well as other need-based scholarships and grants. As part of our improved initiative towards secondary education, CCH has a full-time staff at A.C. Flora High School (where most of our residents go to school) to encourage their academic success and make it possible for more residents to go to college.

What are the sources of funding for CCH?
The Home's annual budget is $5 million. CCH is not a state agency. We are a private, 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization. The majority of our funding comes from earned income (i.e. reimbursements from the state for their clients placed at CCH or Medicaid reimbursements). We also rely heavily on contributions from the community. Because of the generosity of individuals, corporations and foundations, we are able to give our children a happier, healthier and safer childhoods. CCH is audited annually, and our fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30. Copies of the most recent audit are available upon request. For a copy, please call our Director of Finance at (803) 782-1421 ext. 239.

Do the residents receive spending money?
Each resident is allocated a weekly allowance. Residents receive an allowance if they complete their assigned chores and any additional chores they would like to perform on campus. Counselors teach our residents how to budget and spend their money. Some residents have an account in our finance department so we can track their spending and be sure they are using their money in positive ways. Residents do receive a clothing allowance from the state. They tend to use their spending money for "fun" things like CDs or fast food snacks.

What kind of volunteer opportunities do you have?
Volunteers assist the Home in a variety of ways -- by helping us with special events like our Annual Bar-B-Que Festival or Christmas gift-wrapping or by assisting with special projects. For more information, please call our Community Relations Coordinator at (803) 782-1421 ext. 216.

How can I make a monetary donation to CCH?
Your generous gift to CCH can be made as a unrestricted gift, one designated towards our building campaign, or as a memorial/salute honoring loved ones. All gifts are tax deductible for income tax purposes. For more information, please call our Director of Development at (803) 782-1421 ext. 263.

Can I sponsor a child?
We do not offer individual sponsorships due to the high volume of turnover with our clients. However, any individual, club, group or business can sponsor a cottage of 12-15 residents. Sponsorship opportunities include annual cottage, birthdays, holidays, back-to-school and activities/outings. For more information, please call our Community Relations Coordinator at (803) 782-1421 ext. 216.