Colossal magnetoresistance manganites also exhibit a large magnetic entropy change (ΔSm) or magnetocaloric effect (MCE) around their magnetic phase transitions. Although many MCE studies in manganites have been reported around the Curie temperature (TC), there is a lack of studies around their orbital and charge ordered temperature (TCO). The MCE exhibits quite different behavior at TC from TCO. Here, we made an effort to understand the effects of charge ordered phase and its destruction on MCE properties by studying the temperature as well as magnetic field dependence of magnetocaloric properties in (i) the charge and orbital ordered La0.5Ca0.5MnO3 and (ii) the charge ordered destructed La0.5Ca0.5Mn 0.96Ni0.02O3. The studies reveal that even 2% Ni substitution in La0.5Ca0.5Mn1 - xNixO3 destroys charge ordered state and induces long range ferromagnetic phase. The parent compound shows both negative (ΔSm = -1.8 J/kgK) as well as positive magnetocaloric (ΔSm = + 2.9 J/kgK) effects under 3 T field at ferromagnetic and charge order transitions, respectively. The Ni-substituted compound shows only negative magnetocaloric effect (ΔSm = -2.9 J/kgK). The parent and 2% Ni-substituted samples show relative cooling power (RCP) of -68 J/kg at TCO and + 145 J/kg at TC under 3 T field, respectively. These ΔSm and RCP values at TCO are much larger than other 50% Ca-doped manganites. The results were interpreted in terms of charge ordering and its destruction with Ni substitution. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.