Based on the oldest records available the premises had initially operated as a Crèche in the year 1956 and had been privately managed to support the working mothers of the area. It had been first registered under All Ceylon Buddhist Congress (ACBC) as its seventh Child Development Centre on 15th July, 1959 under the name of Maithree Child Development Centre (MCDC). The very first Honorary Secretaries who served the Board of Management of MCDC had been Mrs Bernice Rupasinghe and Mrs Malika Fernando and housed 18 Girls.
In the Year 1987 MCDC had been declared as a Girl Child Development Centre only for full time Residential Inmates. These Girls are recommended and directed to the Centre by the Magistrate Courts when it is proved in Court that these girls are unsafe and not suitable to live in a home environment with lacking of Parents or Guardians care. Some of these Girls undertaken for rehabilitation by MCDC could be children who have been removed from their families due to harassment, abuse, abandonment, parent divorce or separation.
MCDC was temporarily closed down on two occasions in the past due to operational issues in the years 1967 & 2007. In February, 2008 for complete renovations of MCDC, the Children were re-located at Wijewardena Balika Children’s Home in Panadura.