I make $3 per hour PER child...so technically $12/hour. One parent is not responsible for paying my whole hourly wage, they are responsible for paying 1/4 of my hourly wage. If you are allowed 5 than they should be paying 1/5 of your hourly wage and so on. Figure out what number will work for you...it needs to pay your bills, allow some extra money and be a number that parents can afford to pay as well.

Daycare rates vary greatly between provinces and they even vary between cities/areas. I charge $30 a day but in a small community only 30 minutes from me, a friend charges between $20-25.

It will all depend on your expenses how much you will owe at income tax time. We own our home so have no mortgage which is great year round....than income tax time comes along and I usually don't have enough expenses to claim to get my numbers down. I expect to pay around $2400 so I put away around $300 a month. Once you have a full year of daycare and do your taxes you will have a better idea of what your numbers will look like year to year.

Last year I wasn't as strict as separating my daycare bills...if I was at the grocery store and only needed milk for dc I paid for it on our grocery bill. This year I have separated them even if it's only a $5 receipt. I buy a lot of toys second hand online and now keep a record of all that and get receipts.