Hellobee Boards

@travelingnanny: I'm probably asking for too much. But my husband and I live for the lunch time updates. Our LO is 2 and a handful so hearing at lunch if it's a good day for him or difficult day always helps.

I agree that I would love the idea of outings in theory, but in practice I would probably feel a little nervous, especially if it was just you and 4 kiddos. If you had an assistant that would be a big reassurance though I still don't know that I would want my kid in the car with a childcare provider multiple times per week. I would say 1-2 field trips per month would be really nice. Especially since it is a setting with 4 kids around the same age, as long as there is a good outdoor space, the need for field trips is lessened in my opinion because they have social interaction. The reason I kept my LO out & about so much as a SAHM is because it was just her and I at home every day otherwise.

But to answer your question: It seems like you are really thoughtful about wanting to provide high quality childcare and I'm sure above all, that will show. As long as you can meet the needs the majority of parents have as far as hours/availability/etc. which is usually the #1 need, I would say you could charge at the highest end of what in-home daycares cost in your area.

I don't know that you could go completely above and beyond the range though because if someone wants a nanny or nanny share set-up they will just do that, or if someone wants a daycare center with a lot of oversight, camera, etc. they will just do that. I think ultimately the parents you attract will be in the market for a great in-home daycare and they will expect to pay within that range.

Edited to add: So, here's something that is just my personal thoughts/feelings but may be helpful. It sounds like you want to offer almost a structured set-up like a daycare or preschool. To me, one of the main benefits of an in-home daycare or a smaller setting would be the ability to have more control/say when it comes to my child's schedule and how they are cared for in general. Once we were ready to look for more of a school setting, I never considered an in-home care provider because at that point, the structure of a school/center was what I was looking for.

So, I don't know if that makes sense, but above all I would just think of who you are "marketing" to and their desires and you might find that you should tweak your offerings or highlight different things (like many have said, ability to adhere to LO's schedule is important to them) versus the outings, activities, etc.