Quote Originally Posted by Suzie_Homemaker View Post
This true.

Not huge amount of carer in PEI but not huge amount of population either. Some local carer charging just $22 for full day with meals and snacks but they soon go out of business.

Once have a good name and rep and experience, it big help with word of mouth which is always better.

Three year ago was slow on island. Lots of parent lose job with local firm closing and lots of moms try to open day care and earn when at home but inexperience mean under charging trying to be competitive and not understanding that they working for free is not charging enough.

All the new carers did affect everyone for a while. Of course, young family like to save on day care fee but experienced carer make mistakes as they learning. Mistake on too flexible hours, too low fees. Also parent realize over time that cheaper care not always good care which challenges children. Sometime experienced carer worth fees if problem phase or toilet train or child need extra help with some development.

It all settle after about 8 months parent look for carer basing on skill not cost and cheap carer realize lot of work for little money and either close day care or learn lesson and charge fair fee.

I am super lucky. Family grown up so for me this is extra money job for our vacations or luxury expense. I just work 4 days a week. Close Friday always and like today, children often leave early if parent on fishing boats as they finish work around noon.
I'm glad your dry spell didn't last too long. In the 9 years I've been doing this, this is the slowest it has ever been. I don't find too many stay at home moms opening daycare struggling to fill their spots at their prices, and I think that it isn't necessarily indicative of their ability to provide good care so that means that they will get a good reputation and their naivety at being able to charge competitively from day one effects the industry greatly as a result. I think as well that they manage even if they know they can charge extra because so many plan to close after 3 years or so when their child enters kindergarten which is full time here so then they can go back into the employed workforce. Word of mouth and reputation are amazing things, but a rate that is $10-$15 less per day is something that a considerable amount of people will see as a game changer when they are faced to choose between two daycare providers they like equally. I charge $45 per day and I am open M-Th, only accepting 4 day spots. Some of the others who really don't care to much about making a viable full time income out of this as a necessity, charge $30 a day and are more flexible on their policies. Yes it will bite them in the ass eventually and they will regret it, but that won't stop them from opening their doors with cheaper rates and making it slower for us old schoolers.