Just starting home daycare, advice please!

[torontomom]

I would like to start a home daycare and need some advice please. I was thinking of charging $25 per day for kids aged 3 and up and $30 per day for babies under 3 yrs. I was thinking of keeping the rate low to help parents and so that i will get a good response. Because the rate is low, i would require parents to provide lunches, i will provide snacks and breakfast if needed.

My question is do i need to charge a different price to reflect the going rates in my area? How do i figure out what the going rates are?

[torontokids]

Enter your postal code in the search engine here and you'll see the going rates for your neighbourhood. The average for Toronto is $50-75 per day. If you set your price too low a) you won't make any money b) parents may steer clear of you as your projected price is too low and they'll question why. You can't be in this to "help families" you are starting a business, not a charity.

[torontomom]

Thanks, wow that's so expensive! How do parents afford it!? I did a search of my area here and the prices are like u said, but i figure i don't have ECE training, I don't have a recent CPR certificate and i'm just a mom that's raised 3 kids of my own, and babysit a few kids throughout the years. So i'm just trying to keep it fair, i'm not sure what to charge!

[torontokids]

Maybe don't advertise your daycare like that heh heh "just a mom, no ECE." It depends on what you are offering as well maybe you are going to offer "babysitting" instead e.g more casual, no real program or set hours?

[torontokids]

Update your CPR and first aid, big turn off for parents. Parents in T.O expect more as well because they are paying more.

[Artsand crafts]

I am located north of Toronto. You need your Cpr/first aid training and clear police record for parents start taking you seriously. Omit in your ads that you do not have and ECE and instead describe what you are offering. I agree that going with a very low fee will make good families steer away from you because they will question your intentions or quality of care.

[torontomom]

Ok, i figured i could do things the old fashioned way, a lot of families in my area are immigrants and complain that daycare is way too expensive. But i guess i have to rethink everything. Are there any other legal issues i need to be aware of when starting home daycare?

[Artsand crafts]

It is illegal having more than 5 kids plus your own in your house also daycare insurance is strongly recommended to protect yourself. You can also find very helpful information in this forum from past threats.

[Crayola kiddies]

If you charge much less then the going rates in your area that is the type of clients you are going to attract ... People who will want something for nothing, and then stiff you in the end. Make sure you have a contract outlining all the policies such as illness, pick up and drop off , lateness, nap time, withdrawal/termination, ect, ........ Always get paid in advance for the following two weeks, and get a deposit, get your first aid/ CPR, and a police check, and get a daycare Ryder on your house insurance. Read many of these threads so you can see some of the problems we have faced in the past..... Good luck

[Momof4]

You could keep your rates a little bit lower to attract clients and get started, but please make a contract with clear policies and as the ladies already mentioned do get your CPR/first aid updated at the very least. Keep all your receipts as they are all tax deductions, even the CPR training.

I started at a low rate because I am a Mom/Grandma and that was the experience I was drawing upon, but I found out that I do a fantastic job running my daycare and don't need an ECE diploma, just common sense and dedication to my business.

Once I had a good client base in place so that I had fantastic references I was able to raise my rates slowly $2/year or so until I was in a better range after a few years. My clients didn't bat an eye because they were happy with me.