Opening in a new Province

[Suzie_Homemaker]

I thinking more about you last night.

I lucky that we lived here before opened dayhome. You coming in cold and unknown person, trying open dayhome. Get involved in community! Get your face known. Church group, school event, go to social event locally like fundraiser, church supper.

If you in bigger town like Charlottetown, you have denser population and it not so bad. If in small community like Tignish, you have to establish yourself as known person. When less than 1000 people in your town, or live on edge of Island with no traffic driving through your location get to work, that reduce client pool.

Huge amount children in smaller communities looked after by friend and neighbor. Competition much bigger than maybe realize. Can have up to 5 children including your own, in unregulated day home but no more than 2 under age 2. If you have 3 under 2 years, then you only allowed those 3. I have 5 based on small home. If you regulated, then can have more. I think it 7 for regulated dayhome, including own, and no more than 3 under age 2.

Because unregulated care allowed, many people know someone who be home who can watch their child. There always at least one person in community who is the go-to person when mat leave end. Many time, these stay home parent, who viewing it as taking in other children, and so it more casual arrangement. Few contract, few deposit, very flexible with late pick up without financial penalty. It really is someone to watch children when parent work and child picked up when parent get there. If this is type location you in, then the best advertising is not going help if you unknown. Parent not going pick stranger from internet when they can ask friend, neighbor, and really get inside information on what local carer like from first hand knowledge. Advertising only help once established to spread work you have opening.

If you in North Rustico/Cavendish area, employment for many is tourist season in Summer. Lot people on EI over winter (unless snow plow driver). Typically young person staff many tourist area but these often the young parent who need care. These tend prefer the more casual arrangement because when tourist gone, so is work, and they not able to pay care until open again in Summer if they not have winter work. Or these area tend be high turnover daycare because child need removing when tourist season end.

To run dayhome in smaller community, and have formal contract, you must be known. It take time to prove you worth the money, you doing more than less formal people, especially if you not regulated carer. Even regulated carer not have to provide food for children and it okay for child bring food from home. But if you are provide food, then there are rules about what you can serve and the Canada Food Guideline. I think where you say provider in you area give fries, ice-cream and cookie, this mean they likely unregulated carer too because it not in line with rules for regulated carer providing food.

Where you located? Borden is good area because people go to mainland to work sometime and drive back over bridge at night. Bridge is open when sometime ferry is closed so Borden have more potential client than Wood Island area where ferry is. Bridge is good location because then it local community plus all people travelling from other place on island to get to mainland.
How big your town?
Is there daycare centre in town? How many?
What is price for your town's daycare centre?
Is centre open longer hours than you?
Does centre provide food or not?
Does centre charge enrollment fee or deposit?


These important to know if you trying operate "professionally" because these who you compete with.

Is there lot regulated dayhome in your area?
Do they charge deposit?
What their fees?
Do they provide food or child bring from home?
Do they hold place?
Is there lot unregulated dayhome in your area?
What are they charging?
Do they charge for day attend - most not charge for days child sick, on vacation or with grandma.

You need to find out what parent in your area paying, what they getting for their money, what hours are covered, if rotation shift worker only paying for day attended.

If people in small community are used to going to known person, who everyone knows and trust, paying $20 a day, with meals (even if not very healthy), no charge for non-attendance, then it will take time before they come to stranger, who no one know, pay $35, pay for day enrolled even if don't come, who has shorted hour. Even more unlikely if centre close by charging same rate and parent not have potential issue of carer sick or on vacation.

The smaller your community, the tougher it will be.

What your area like in Winter?

Lot Islander go to mainland once month for Costco supplies but in Winter, some area have to time this around weather. Not possible to always say on 3rd weekend every month we going for bigger supply shop because more remote the community mean if snow storm come that weekend, you maybe not getting out of town until main route plowed out.

If you in one of these remote areas, your location to client is critical. For people used to bigger town living on mainland, it easy to forget that even though it not take long to drive across whole PEI in summer, when it winter that whole new situation.