Rates

I am also looking for 4 full timers but i know thats unrealistic so I came up with a plan - anyone who comes for more than 5 hours 3-5 days a week pays $45 a day. Anyone who comes less than 5 hours 3-4 times a week pays $10 per hour (if they're here four hours, they pay the daily rate anyways) and no less than three days otherwise it's just not viable for my business. Since legally, if you work retail or what have you, you're paid 3 hours regardless of whether you worked less, I charge a minimum of 3 hours. When people are desperate for spots, they'll do just about anything. I had one family put their one year old in my care without calling my references, and paid my rate without question bc i live a 3 minute walk from their home. If they want you, they want you. It's their kid. Charge what you feel comfortable charging and don't worry about whether or not it's too much - worry only that it is too little. After all, this is a business, and is the majority of the reason why we're doing it. Don't sell yourself short. If you're worth it, they'll pay.

Also in Toronto and I charge between 50 and 60 (depending on the age and schedule)

TO is... beautifully ...expensive! But wouldn't go anywhere else! I am a definite beacher and Torontonian! My oh poor patriotic family is urging me to come back to their beloved Québec, but my soul is in the beach! hahahaha!

Yeah TO!

I'm in the beaches area. Etobicko is the other side of the city. I've seen rates as high as $75 per day but I think that is completely ridiculous.

It's so true that they say when you come to the beaches you NEVER leave. It is beautifully expensive and the best place to have and take care of children. There is never a loss for outdoor activities.

When are we having our playdate Sarah?

This is part of the reason I decided to open a daycare instead of going back to work. I would never be able to afford daycare on my wages. I make more now as a provider then i EVER did as a counselor.

But you have to realize that you get what you pay for. Toronto gives you everything you need within a block or two radius as well as providing you with any type of neighborhood you could ever dream of living in and that sort of convenience costs.

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Originally Posted by Inspired by Reggio

Sorry I should clarify - I was speaking in terms of childcare ... the staff wages in centres in Mississauga and Toronto are not comparable to the VAST difference in fees being charged to clients ... aka for centres to be charging almost $30 a DAY more than neighboring KW is just a little shocking to me ... I know peers working in TO who are only making between $12-15 / hour which is the SAME wage as KW in fact in many cases it is LESS than centres in KW ... so since staff fees make up 80% of a centres budget and the staff are paid relatively the same in both regions .... why are the FEES so much more in TO - just boggles my mind is all?

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Yees you are right - but you have to into consideration that insurance, taxes, rent/mortgage, hydro, and all the other extra costs of running the business outside of the home

Without charging those rates and paying the workers more the business would not be sustainable

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Originally Posted by Cadillac

...Without charging those rates and paying the workers more the business would not be sustainable

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True ... centre care is not sustainable anyway specailly with the full day early learning coming into play taking the 4-5 year olds out of their programs ... there are too many rules that drive up the cost unnecessarily and to many middle men drawing large salaries and not providing 'direct service' to clients this is why centres are closing all across Ontario ... and TORONTO and a few other larger cities are being hardest hit from what I have read online :(

I know in London they have lost over 350 licensed childcare spaces in the past two years as full day early learning as been implemented at more and more schools - hate to see the full impact by 2015 ... although sad for centres it is good business for us cause those clients need care SOMEWHERE ;)

I too feel bad for the centres in the sense that it isn't anything they are doing that is causing the closures and that they are between a rock and a hard place as the saying goes but yeah gotta secretly be cheering cause those kids will be coming to us. It also allows our rates to go up as long as they stay less than the centre rates so that too is a bonus for us - supply and demand at work.

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Originally Posted by Cadillac

It's so true that they say when you come to the beaches you NEVER leave. It is beautifully expensive and the best place to have and take care of children. There is never a loss for outdoor activities.

When are we having our playdate Sarah?

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When I first came in TO, I was a nanny in the beaches. I did it to learn english! When I went back to Québec, I missed it here soooooo much! I had to come back! We are looking for houses, the price is crazy. We own a house in QC that is worth 145000 but here, that same house with its land, would be 2 millions in the beaches for sure!

To me, it's like being in a huge city (with all of its pros) but without all the cons (in the beaches) A small city in a huge city! Or a leisure destination in a huge city! This is how I see the beaches!

Playdate? Where are you located about?

My west end community (Junction Triangle) also very much has that small community feel. We organize community clean ups, have park dinners, etc. It's great! I feel like I have it all!