I am in the South Keys Area of Ottawa, and I've seen ad for $25 a day. How does a person provide happy environment with the price, I cannot imagine. Even as a private babysitter, I got paid more than that plus tips.

When I officially open as a business 3 years ago, I think CCPRN listed South Keys /Greenboro area within the range of $35 to $60. But when enter my zip code to check how many daycares are near my postal code, there is like 20 daycares in the area, and 5 of them I m friends with, and I regularly see them in the park. And plus those private ones with $20-25 a day?

So, here comes the dilemma, lower than them, or price my services as a business service? And most of them have agencies marketing for them, while I decide to go private?

So, I did my number crunching, and the decision was $40 and I got two clients and I am very happy with it. These parents are professional working parents whose income does not qualify subsidy anyways.

I did have parents who offer bargain bins: $1,000 per month for two kids. That is $25 per day, $500 a month each kid. I was almost tempted as I have the space, but I said $35 is the lowest in the area. And the cost of feeding 2 snacks, and a good healthy lunch won't cut it. And these are my neighbors.

They end up getting private nanny who come to their house and watch their 2 kids. And guess where the kids come for playtime? They come to my house, the nanny was inside their home enjoying the air conditioned living room. They play in my front yard: sandbox, ride on cars and played with my daycare kids. One day, the couple came home for lunch an notice that their kids are with me, the nanny snoozing in their living room. They feel ackward after that, telling their nanny to follow their kids when playing outdoors. They know that "you get what you paid for".

Its tougher nowadays, as we lose our 4 year old's to full day kindergarten. And yes, I saw $25 ad, *sigh*

angie