About Us

In 1985, following years of research and development, members of Oakland Avenue Presbyterian Church, under the leadership of Dr. David Cowan, committed to caring after local “frail adults” by establishing an adult day care center, a relatively unheard of concept at the time. A board was formed, funds were secured, and in mid-1986 the Park Avenue Adult Day Care Center opened for membership to just five senior citizens.

Recognizing the high degree of both community need and family impact, in 1991 the organization extended both its mission and its footprint by adding a second campus in York and, in 2001, added a third in Fort Mill. A rebranding initiative was completed that same year and the organization – by that time operating as York County Adult Day Care Services – began doing business as Adult Enrichment Centers.

Now, 40 years since our founding, AEC is a network of three distinct programs – Thrive, Renew, and School of the Arts – that annually serve a multigenerational community of more than 200 neurodiverse adults and individuals with disabilities. We are nationally recognized for our best practices as well as our innovation, and several of our methods of engagement are regionally unique.