I am also in Alberta. Actually Alberta has NO laws whatsoever regarding the number of children to caregiver. It doesn't see fit to try and regulate privatized childcare. You can have 90:1 and as long as the parents are comfortable leaving their children in your care you can keep on "collecting". Rediculous, I know, but its true. If you were licensed that would be a different story. You can only have up to 6 children per caregiver, and its 1 under 1, 2 under 2, 3 under 3. But only one in each age bracket, get it? So you can have 1, 1yo; 1,2yo and 1,1yo or 2,2yo; 3, 3yo or 1,3yo and 1,2yo and 1,1yo or; 1,3yo and 2,2yo and 0,1yo or; 3,3yo. Yes it is confusing. I chose to be privatized because the regulations for being lisenced are completely rediculous, IMHO.

Although I have no one working for me and never have and never will, it isn't that difficult to obtain an employee. If you get a family member to work for you you don't have to remit CPP or EI on their behalf, just the income tax. However, that also means that they can not claim EI because they are not paying into it. You can also go the route of paying "casual" cash wages. If you don't need the extra help everyday and therefore only need some one once in a while, you are allowed to pay cash wages and write them off as long as they sign a receipt.

HTH