Social Development Commission

The Social Development Commission (SDC) is the principal community organization agency working with Jamaica’s 775 communities. Positioned in the Ministry of Local Government & Community Development, the SDC continues to execute its legal mandate to inter alia, “promote and control schemes for, and to do any act or thing which may directly or indirectly serve the advancement of – sport, social, cultural & economic development – for the people of Jamaica and workers in particular”.

It evolved from Jamaica Welfare Ltd [1937] – pioneers of rural community development – to be the Government of Jamaica’s (GOJ) principal community mobilisation and organisation agency in urban and rural areas. The Jamaica Social Welfare Commission Act established the SDC in 1965.