It's pretty tough to raise your rates by too much once your clients are in the door, signed and following the program. However, you can and probably should, raise your rates annually by a small amount. I raise mine by $1/day every year. However, you should start thinking about a change in rates for any future clients coming in. When I moved my business from a rural area to a high density, high competition area, I checked out what everyone else was charging. I charged $1 below them to fill, then raised my rates slowly for all subsequent families. Within 1.5 years, I've gone from $39 to $45. I'm now advertising for Sept 2015 at $47. I'm not getting many bites. It might be too early, but it also might be too high. In 6-8 mos, if there's still no interest, I'll drop the rate by $1 and see what happens. Another strategy that works for keeping rates increasing at a faster rate is to 'specialize' in a particular age group. I only take kids till school aged, so typically they're gone by 3.5 or 4, so it keeps my turnover at such a pace that I have them for a decent stretch, but gives me more opportunities to tinker with my rates. It also limits the different supplies I need for crafts, books, etc as I'm dealing with a narrower age bracket.

While one can arguably do this job without ECE, I tout mine and use it as one of the reasons to justify my higher rates. Why not? I've got it, so if it gives me a leg up, all the better I love that you grow your own foods. I do that as well and have made it a constant theme in my daycare...even in the winter. My schtick is sort of an earthy, hippie kind of thing and if marketed well, parents really go for it. Use it as what sets you apart from the others and sell the hell out of it.