Independent Childcare in Maricopa County

What is up with the independent childcare wages in Maricopa County? Women open their homes to other children for an average of $3/hr and we are supposed to except that? I recently advertised my independent childcare services and received an email from one mother, living in Maricopa County, who seemed annoyed at the fact that I requested $7/hr for child care services that included breakfast, lunch, snack, Letter Recognition, Number Basics, basic ASL lessons, basic Spanish lessons, a clean, smoke free and pet free environment in a gated community:

"Here in Arizona most home daycares charge per day not per hour. The highest rate I have come across is $40 per day for a home daycare. That is for a 8-10hr day. Even the elite schools in Scottsdale only charge $45 - $50 per day. You will probably get no response by charging $7 per hour for one child. The childcare market here in Arizona does not pay well. Unless you are a live in nanny with no children of your own. Call around to some of the local daycares in your area and you will find their prices are much lower."
-Joan, Maricopa County

Joan's opinion about elite Scottsdale schools says a lot about the educational system here in Maricopa County. With the rise in population of the Maricopa County area, I don't feel there is enough schools to provide sufficient educational opportunities for our children. One example of this rising problem is Meridian Elementary School, located in Mesa, AZ within Maricopa County. I have not had the pleasure of experiencing Meridian's education tactics but I have noticed the boom of property construction around the elementary school area. More homes being built means more families in the area. With just under 900 students and a student/teacher ratio of 17:6, one must expect an increase of students in the coming years and the nearest elementary school is 2.7 miles away.