Yew Chung Community College has been set up by Yew Chung Education Foundation (YCEF), which is a private, not-for-profit organisation established to launch, develop and oversee a range of educational institutions in response to local and international needs. 

The first Yew Chung school was set up by Madame Tsang Chor-hang in 1932 in Hong Kong. Under her daughter, Dr Betty Chan Po-King, Yew Chung has expanded its educational provision from Kindergarten to Primary and to Secondary School level and from Hong Kong to China and Silicon Valley in the U.S.A. The opening of the Yew Chung Community College is another step forward, enabling Yew Chung to contribute to all-through education in an international context from Early Childhood to University level.

In line with the policy call made by the first Chief Executive of the HKSAR for greater diversification in Hong Kong's post-secondary education provision to enable a greater number of the school-leaving population to enter higher education, YCEF was invited by the Hong Kong Government to set up a Community College able to offer Associate Degrees.  The setting up of the Yew Chung Community College (YCCC) is a direct response to this invitation.  

YCEF appointed Dr John Clark and Dr Angela Cheung as Consultants to draw up plans and develop the initial Programmes for the College.

YCCC has now been accredited and has had its Programmes validated by the Hong Kong Council for the Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ). The College opened in September 2008.