History
Ebenezer Child Care Centers, Inc., is a not-for-profit, non-sectarian, locally based agency, established in 1968 to serve Southside families of children ages 2½ to 10 years. Our initial center was located at 36th and National Avenue.
In 1981, due to an overwhelming need in the community, Ebenezer began to provide infant and toddler care at a second site located at 29th and Greenfield Avenue. Our license was then expanded to serve children ages four weeks through 12 years.
In 1983, at the request of Milwaukee Public Schools, Ebenezer launched a new program at South Division High School, specifically targeted at caring for children of teen parents. In 1985, a similar program was started at Washington High School. Another teen parent program opened in 1995, at the Lady Pitts Center in Custer High School. Today, our Lady Pitts Center continues to help teen parents through the challenges of completing high school while raising a child.
In 1986, our child care center located at 4th and St. Paul Avenue began serving the downtown area. In the fall of 1994, a Center at 6th and Virginia Street was opened to provide needed child care services for the businesses and community of the Walker's Point area. Also in the fall of 1994, Ebenezer was awarded a contract with the Greenfield Public Schools to provide Before and After School Care for their elementary school children. In the fall of 1995, Ebenezer opened another Center at PrimeCare Insurance (currently UnitedHealth Group) in Wauwatosa. This location provides on-site child care for UnitedHealth Group employees and the community.
In the fall of 2000, a Before and After School program was opened at the Milwaukee Academy of Science School at 20th and Kilbourn Avenue. In the fall of 2004, we opened a new center in the City of Oak Creek. In August of 2009, we acquired a new center in Mequon.
Currently, we have 10 locations-five centers and five programs in schools.
Ebenezer conforms to the State child/staff ratios required for licensing. Nevertheless, because we have children attending our Centers on a part-time basis, we often have ratios that are much lower than the State guidelines. Ebenezer has held Department of Children and Family licenses at each site continually since they were established and on many occasions has enjoyed the rare distinction of perfect reviews.
Ebenezer currently has several of its sites accredited and are working toward the goal of having all locations achieve this standard. Accreditation is a voluntary process designed to improve the quality of early care and education programs. Accreditation systems require early care and education programs to meet high standards that exceed minimum State regulatory requirements. Achieving accreditation involves extensive self-study and validation by professionals outside the program to verify that quality standards are met. A number of organizations have developed accreditation systems to recognize early care and education programs that generally meet higher standards than are required by State regulations. Two examples of organizations with accreditation systems we have worked with are
• National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs (NAC) ~ National Association of Child Care Professionals (NACCP): naccp.org
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)naeyc.org
Ebenezer also works closely with individuals entering the field of Early Childhood Education. We have served as a training site for MATC and UWM student teachers, Alverno nursing students, practicum students needing work experience. These additional adults support the teachers already in our ratios.
Ebenezer is open to any family interested in enrolling their child(ren) ages 4 weeks through 12 years. Ebenezer does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, age, disability, Veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other discriminatory basis prohibited by State or Federal law.
For more than 40 years, Ebenezer has been a part of the community, providing warm, nurturing care for children and their families.