Fees are due on or before the first day of care each month, and there are four options for payment schedules:
     1. Monthly, by cash or cheque, on or before the first day of care in the month.
     2. Twice monthly, by cash or cheque, days to be mutually agreed upon.
     3. Weekly, by cash or cheque, however if paying by cheque for this option, payment MUST be made on the Monday to allow time for the cheque to clear before the week ends. Nobody likes cheques bouncing on a Friday.
     4. Daily, cash only. Obviously the only option for emergency drop-in care. Others may also choose to pay this way, however payment must be in cash.
*****If payment is not received on the agreed-upon days, care WILL be suspended until payment is made in full.****

What you'll need to pay:
~~$100.00 deposit. This is a one-time, NON-REFUNDABLE fee due upon registration and holds your child's place in the dayhome.
~~$50.00 per day, no matter the age, for over 4 hours of care or $30.00 per day for less than 4 hours of care.

*******STATUTORY HOLIDAYS: I charge MORE for STAT HOLIDAYS. Fee for stat holidays is $60.00 per day for 4 hours or more and $40.00 per day for under 4 hours. I require as much advance notice as possible to provide care for STAT HOLIDAYS as well, because my own children will be home those days and we may have plans.********

Other fees:
~~$50.00 per item for NSF cheques. After three NSF cheques, I will only accept cash.
~~If any required special dietary items, over-the-counter medications and/or diapering supplies are not provided, I will invoice you for any purchases I have to make for your child. This will need to be paid on or before the next regular fee payment date.
~~We will occasionally take field trips. Often I will have free passes, but if I do not, I will invoice you for the ticket amount and/or bus fare, if applicable. This will need to be paid on or before the next regular fee payment date.

When you calculate it out, for the standard 10-hour day of care, you are paying me around $5.00/hour, which is well below minimum wage AND meals are included. Which means of that $5.00, I get to keep MAYBE half.

(The following was taken from Wiggles-n-Giggles, which is another Calgary dayhome. Thanks so much for such perfect wording!)
What fees include
 What you pay to the childcare provider will guarantee the highest quality childcare, nutritious meals & snacks, and a safe, nurturing environment for your child. Your childcare fees provide my income. Your fees pay for food, paper products, soap, and cleaning supplies, toys, play equipment, baby equipment, water, gas, electric, nap mats (playpens for little ones), special chairs & furniture, strollers, wagons, lots of repairs and wear and tear,  paperwork & supplies, and all of the other things that your child will use. 

Like other self-employed workers, Family Childcare providers do not receive the benefits many employees take for granted. These include health/dental insurance, life insurance, retirement/pension,  workers comp, flexible time off and unemployment insurance. These benefits often amount to as much as 35% of a person’s wages.

Family child care is a blessing to your family in that your children will have much more individual attention and opportunities for learning, and much less illness than center care.  Your child will have one person caring for him or her only, and will not be transferred from one room in the dayhome to another.  This kind of ongoing relationship between child and caregiver has been shown to be the very healthiest situation possible for young children.

Unlike other forms of self-employment, family childcare is very restrictive in that there is no room for growth. The province dictates the size of my business. I cannot take time off for appointments or obligations without careful planning and covering of my responsibilities. To protect my rights and income, you will find that a guaranteed wage is part of my contract. Most people have a 40 hour workweek. Mine is 55 hours and up and that does not include all my preparation, bookkeeping, paperwork, shopping or cleaning time.

I hope this gives you a better understanding about all the ways in which your childcare fees are applied.
(Again, thank you to Wiggles-n-Giggles for this important information)