Daycare of Hard Knox: Why a Knoxville Daycare Owner Lost her Livelihood
When Jacoyia Wakefield decided to create her own daycare business, she did everything right. She read up on Knoxville’s business regulations, consulted with a city official, and obtained a business license per the official’s advice. As long as she cared for less than five unrelated toddlers, she technically did not even need a license, but obtained one anyway to be on the safe side as this was her main source of income. As a stay-at-home mom, her business has granted her the ability to raise her children while caring for and educating other children in the community.
“Parents want to know that their children are benefiting from one-on-one interaction, and that’s something that just can’t be achieved at commercial day cares,” Jacoyia explained. “My services are also much more inexpensive, which has been the saving grace for parents who simply can’t afford pricier centers.” Because Jacoyia lives in a historical neighborhood, she is required to obtain a “use on review” permit to run a business out of her home. In January, the Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission approved Jacoyia’s application for a use on review permit, officially allowing her to operate her home-based business.
When Jacoyia Wakefield decided to create her own daycare business, she did everything right. She read up on Knoxville’s business regulations, consulted with a city of...ficial, and obtained a business license per the official’s advice. As long as she cared for less than five unrelated toddlers, she technically did not even need a license, but obtained one anyway to be onthe safe side as this was her main source of income.
As a stay-at-home mom, her business has granted her the ability to raise her children while caring for and educating other children in the community. “Parents want to know that their children are benefiting from one-on-one interaction, and that’s something that just can’t be achieved at commercial day cares,” Jacoyia explained. “My services are also much more inexpensive, which has been the saving grace for parents who simply can’t afford pricier centers.”
Because Jacoyia lives in a historical neighborhood, she is required to obtain a “use on review” permit to run a business out of her home. In January, the Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission approved Jacoyia’s application for a use on review permit, officially allowing her to operate her home-based business.
