Originally Posted by Unregistered:
In the end I offered to change my schedule so I could accommodate her, but made it very clear in case she needed to pay a holding fee in the future that it doesn't obligate me to provide care during the holding period. She stated she understood and that it wasn't fair for her to expect me to change my schedule at the last minute, and that she would just wait until the planned on start date.
Bolded^
I think that just told her that you will bend to her when she makes a fuss.
You have policies for a reason, stick to them. Especially in the honeymoon period with a family. It sets the precedence right off the bat with expectations on both ends.
I have seen providers offer a what they call a "hold" for summer with a 1-2 days a week attendance. To me, that's just part time attendance that will transfer to FT attendance on a specific date. I have also seen a "meet and greet" day before enrollment- one day though, not regularly. I haven't seen a "hold" that allows regular attendance before the "start date" though. To me, any regular attendance IS the start date.
I would do as suggested above and write out the specifics of the holding fee and what will be promised from both parties.
Then, don't deter from those conditions unless you want to
write up a new agreement.