Opening daycare

[superfun]

I have family that lived there quite a while ago.

Yes, my stats are paid days off. I would encourage you to include them as well. You'll be able to offer things that private daycares can't, like subsidy, etc. I'm also very familiar with small towns in general, and I bet I know how some of the private daycares operate. Maybe when you interview families, if they seem concerned about paying for days they aren't using, you could explain the extra costs involved that others may not pay, like insurance. Or if the private daycares are way over their numbers, you could explain you are licensed for a small number of children, and that really benefits their child. You're setting yourself apart from the others, and you should be able to find enough families that respect that decision. And if you do it, the others may decide to follow your lead, and then everyone will charge for stat days.