Dr. Andre Carter

Owner and Operator of Carter’s Christian Education Center and Carter’s Christian Academy in Milwaukee

I got into the into the field of early care and education because of my children and mother. My mother provided child care for my children while I worked and I saw how beneficial it was for my children to be in a loving and nurturing environment. The way she cared and treated them with so much love inspired me, and I wanted other children to experience that same sense of family love and care. I wanted them to know that while their parents were out trying to make a living, they were going to be in an environment that was just like home.

I have been working in the early care and education field for over 25 years. One enhancement that most early care professionals want is increased financial support from the state and other government agencies. Even when it comes to grants, the money is scarce in the low-income areas. At Carter’s Christian Education Center, one of the biggest things we do is to provide our families with resources and support that help them to overcome poverty and hunger. We provide them with food baskets and weekend snack packs to help some of the children and their families get by when they are low on food or financial funds. We work with Feeding America to obtain extra food for our families and ensure that they have what they need.

We provide our families with resources to help with obtaining immunizations or other health care needs as well as work with families on any developmental concerns that are raised about their children. We provide them a place to allow their children to be assessed for programs like the Birth to 3 Programs sponsored by Lutheran Social Services. Many of my families will transition from the daycare to the school where they are provided with even more resources including academic, emotional, and social support through the school’s mentoring programs. It brings me so much pride to see a few of the first children I ever cared for in my child care center all grown up.