Knox County school board member turns to running a day care to help kids facing trauma

Surrounded by woods, a pond and adults who care, kids as young as 6 weeks old are nurtured at the Olive Tree Early Learning Academy, which opened in September.

The brainchild of Knox County Board of Education member Daniel Watson and his wife, Mandy, the center helps toddlers deal with trauma. Through his work with Knox County Schools since 2020, Daniel has seen firsthand the importance of ensuring students are properly equipped with reading skills by the time they're in fourth grade. That learning process begins with preschool, he said.

The center is located at 5311 McKamey Road, and children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old can enroll. The center costs between $215 to $300 a week, which includes breakfast, lunch and snacks. Various discounts are available based on family income.

Daniel has decided to give up his school board seat at the end of his term to focus on the nonprofit.

"I really saw the need for high-quality early education through serving on the school board," he said.

The Watsons are not new to service work, especially when it comes to helping families. Olive Tree is an extension of their work at Restoration House, which provides single parents with transitional housing and other resources.

Restoration House is a "whole neighborhood," Mandy said of the wrap-around care. Starting an early childhood center seemed like the obvious next step, she added. Working with parents showed the couple the need to invest in young minds, too.

Restoration House received national attention when "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" came to Knoxville in 2012. The show built a home for Daniel and Mandy plus two duplexes for Restoration House mothers next door. Since serving its first families in 2007, the "village," as the founders call it, has grown in capacity, housing and mentorship along the way.

What makes Olive Tree special?

Olive Tree Early Learning Academy is unique in that it focuses on cues from children, molding its curriculum to the ways individual students learn, Mandy said. It is licensed to serve over 80 children.

The physical space reflects that mission. Classroom learning is based on activities, following the lead and pace of the students. The center's meals are prepared in-house every day.

The families served at the learning center mostly come from underserved communities ‒ mainly "mother-led" families and refugees, Daniel said.

From the teachers to the administrators, each staffer knows every child and provides access to holistic care. For kids who have experienced trauma, it's especially important that they're surrounded by familiar faces to feel safe, Daniel said.

For the teachers who work at the center, the favorite part - besides the kids - is knowing they're making a difference for parents. Elisha Hall, who works as a teaching assistant, graduated nine years ago from the Restoration House's mentorship program and knows what the families are facing.

As a single mother, Hall said she would've appreciated finding a center like Olive Tree for her kids.

"I came back to give back to the same community," Hall said.

Areena Arora, data and investigative reporter for Knox News, can be reached by email at areena.arora@knoxnews.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @AreenaArora.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Olive Tree Early Learning Academy in Knoxville focuses on families