How word you word the "Holding a Spot" policy, or does this sound okay, and get the message across with no confusion?:
**********************************************************
Holding a Spot:
If you need us to hold a spot for your child, depending on availability we may be able to to do that for a deposit of ½ the weekly rate. The spot will be held no longer than two weeks. This will be applied to your child's first week of attendance, however, if you should decide not to enroll your child after all and they do not attend, the money will not be refunded. If you need the spot held longer than 2 weeks, depending on availability we may continue to hold a spot for your child at the regular weekly rate, however this amount will not be refunded or applied to any week of care, regardless of attendance or enrollment.
**********************************************************
What would you, if you were a parent, get from this? Would you understand it all?
Here's what I want: say mom wants to bring little x to my daycare in 4 weeks and wants me to hold her spot. I would charge her 1/2 rate the first two weeks and apply that to her first week of care, then for the next two weeks she would pay the full rate and it would NOT be applied to her child's care. After all this time, if she chose not to enroll little x after all, I would not refund her money.
Is this asking too much? On top of a two week deposit that is refunded to them after their last two weeks of enrollment?