Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Jackson.
Hi Stephanie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Our journey to becoming KidsPark franchisees is really a story about family, education, entrepreneurship, and recognizing an opportunity to serve families in our community.
Both of us have spent much of our careers working with children and families, and education has always been a major part of our lives. Stephanie has worked in education for more than 20 years as a teacher, instructional coach, school administrator, curriculum leader, and consultant. Chris has also built his career in education and has always shared Stephanie’s passion for helping children learn, grow, and thrive.
At the same time, we wanted to build something of our own—something that would allow us to combine our professional experience with our desire to make a difference in the lives of families. We had experience operating childcare businesses, so we understood both the challenges and the incredible impact that quality childcare can have on a family.
When we discovered KidsPark, the concept immediately made sense to us. We started as KidsPark customers! It became a fun, safe environment for our two sons when we didn’t have a sitter. We loved the idea of providing families with flexible, dependable childcare without requiring them to commit to a traditional full-time childcare schedule. We also saw an opportunity to create a place where children genuinely enjoyed being while parents had the flexibility they needed.
Purchasing KidsPark Jacksonville was a big leap of faith, but it was also a natural next step for us. We wanted to create more than just a childcare center—we wanted to create a place where children feel safe, known, supported, and excited to come back, while parents feel confident that their children are in good hands.
Since becoming franchisees, our vision has continued to grow. We have expanded our programming to include preschool, VPK, after-school enrichment, summer camp, drop-in care, and extended-hours care. Our goal has always been to meet families where they are and provide the flexibility that working parents need.
Looking back, our journey has been a combination of preparation, persistence, faith, and a willingness to take a chance on ourselves. KidsPark has given us the opportunity to bring together our passion for children, our experience in education, and our entrepreneurial spirit—and we are incredibly proud of what we are building together.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not. Being business owners has been rewarding, but it has definitely not been a smooth road. Like many entrepreneurs, we have experienced our share of challenges, unexpected expenses, staffing issues, changing market conditions, and moments when we questioned whether we were doing enough or making the right decisions.
One of our biggest lessons has been learning that passion alone isn’t enough—you have to be willing to adapt, stay consistent, make difficult decisions, and keep moving forward even when things don’t go according to plan. There have been seasons when the business required more of us financially, emotionally, and personally than we anticipated. Balancing our careers, family, and the demands of owning a business has also required a great deal of intentionality.
At the same time, those challenges have made us better business owners. We’ve learned to pay closer attention to the numbers, listen to our families and customers, invest in our team, and remain flexible when circumstances change. Most importantly, we’ve learned not to let a difficult season define the entire journey.
There have certainly been moments when we’ve had to remind ourselves why we started. But every challenge has also taught us something that has helped us grow. We are proud that we didn’t give up when things got difficult. The road hasn’t been smooth, but it has been incredibly rewarding—and we wouldn’t trade the lessons we’ve learned along the way.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
KidsPark Jacksonville is childcare done differently. At its heart, KidsPark was created around a simple but powerful idea: families don’t always need traditional, full-time childcare—they need safe, dependable, high-quality care that fits real life. KidsPark allows families to use childcare by the hour or day, without committing to a traditional schedule or making a reservation. We serve children from age 2 through the school-age years and provide care during days, evenings, weekends, school breaks, and those unexpected moments when families need an extra set of hands.
What makes our Jacksonville location especially unique is the combination of flexibility and education. We are not simply a place where children are supervised while their parents are away. Our children have opportunities to learn, create, socialize, move, explore, and develop independence through a combination of teacher-led and child-initiated activities. Art, STEAM, cooking, fitness, sensory exploration, games, and hands-on learning are all part of the KidsPark experience.
Education is particularly important to us as owners. Our background in education has shaped how we approach KidsPark and our commitment to creating meaningful experiences for children. Our Busy Bees program gives our youngest learners, ages 2 to 3, a positive introduction to school while building communication, independence, social skills, and foundational learning skills. Our preschool program combines early academic development with hands-on, play-based experiences and STEAM opportunities to help prepare children for kindergarten and beyond.
For school-age children, we provide a place where they can be kids while still engaging in meaningful enrichment. Our programs include before- and after-school care, homework help, STEAM and engineering activities, arts and crafts, games, school-break care, and special events. That flexibility is particularly important for working families who may not have traditional 9-to-5 schedules.
We are also incredibly proud of the fact that KidsPark Jacksonville is designed around the whole family. We understand that parents need more than childcare—they need flexibility, reliability, peace of mind, and a place where their children genuinely enjoy being. Our goal is for children to feel like they are coming somewhere fun and familiar, while parents feel confident that their children are safe, cared for, and learning.
What sets us apart is that “we don’t believe families should have to choose between flexibility and quality”. At KidsPark Jacksonville, they can have both. We want our brand to be known for being responsive to the realities of modern families while maintaining a strong commitment to early learning, child development, safety, and meaningful play.
Ultimately, what we are most proud of is the community we are building. We want KidsPark Jacksonville to be the place parents think of when they say, “I need somewhere I can trust my child.” And we want children to say, “Can I go to KidsPark?” because they genuinely love being here. For us, that is what the brand is all about: “happy kids, confident parents, and childcare that works for real life.”
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
What we like most about Jacksonville is the opportunity. It is a city that is growing, evolving, and attracting new families and businesses every day. As business owners, we appreciate being in a community where there is still room to grow, build relationships, and make an impact. Jacksonville has many of the qualities that make it attractive to families—beautiful beaches and outdoor spaces, a relatively affordable cost of living compared with many other major Florida markets, diverse communities, and a strong and growing workforce.
From the perspective of KidsPark, we especially appreciate that Jacksonville is a city full of working families who need childcare solutions that fit their lives. The city’s continued growth creates a tremendous opportunity for businesses like ours that provide flexible childcare and support parents who are balancing work and family. The fact that Jacksonville has made childcare access and affordability a community priority tells us that we are addressing a very real need.
We also love the entrepreneurial spirit of Jacksonville. There is a growing recognition of the importance of small businesses, and the city has expanded programs designed to support local entrepreneurs and small businesses. As business owners, it is encouraging to feel that there is an ecosystem developing around people who are willing to take a risk, create jobs, and invest in their communities.
What we like least is that Jacksonville’s growth can sometimes feel like a double-edged sword. More people means more opportunity, but it also means more competition, rising costs, increased traffic, and greater demand for services. As a childcare business, one of our biggest challenges is finding and retaining great employees. Quality childcare depends on quality people, and workforce challenges can have a direct impact on a small business like ours. Even the city has acknowledged that childcare workforce availability is an important part of the larger childcare challenge.
We also sometimes wish Jacksonville had a stronger sense of connectivity between its many communities. Because the city is so geographically large, it can take time to build awareness of a business beyond its immediate area. As an owner, that means we have to be intentional about marketing, community partnerships, and making sure families understand what makes KidsPark different.
Overall, though, we wouldn’t want to build our business anywhere else. Jacksonville gives us something we value tremendously as entrepreneur — room to grow and the opportunity to make a meaningful difference. We see the challenges as part of being in a growing city, and we would much rather be building a business in a community with momentum than one that is standing still.
Pricing:
- Hourly, on-demand childcare
- $11/hr
- Discounted day and weekly rates available
- Subsidy Care Vouchers Accepted
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kidspark.com/Jacksonville-Touchton
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kidsparkjacksonville
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KidsparkJacksonville
