Holding Spots

[maelb05]

If you hold spots, how long are you willing to do so (weeks, months in advance) and what do you charge to hold the spot (per week/month)? I am okay with doing this, but not sure how to write it in my contract.

[Michael]

Here are more threads on Holding Spots: https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...holding+a+spot

And Hokding Spot Policy: https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...ng+spot+policy

[Ariana]

I am willing to hold a spot for a couple of weeks with a nonrefundable deposit if they do not start care. If they start care, the deposit is applied to their last two weeks.

I will hold a spot IF my spot is not currently available, so for example I interviewed and signed a family on in December for my February spot, again with the deposit.

[Cat Herder]

I only hold slots with full payment of tuition.

If I have no current slot available, I do not charge to be added to the waitlist.

I also have no enrollment fees or deposits.

[Blackcat31]

The only thing I hold are babies.

If a spot is open and available, payment in full is the only way to claim it.

I am not in the business of losing money so that someone else can save money.

[storybookending]

Does anyone that doesn’t hold spots or that charges a holding fee have a form or letter theybuse to explain it?

I have two pregnant moms and two spots opening up on September 3rd. Neither will be quite ready to go back at this date and I am thinking of charging at least half to hold the spaces. Paying for spots you aren’t using is not something that happens too often here so I’m not sure how it will be received but I’m not prepared to just hold two spots open for a month.

[Cat Herder]

I don't use a form but the explanation is pretty simple. I need my full income to be able to continue to provide childcare. I can't go without a paycheck any more than my clients can. It would be rude for them to even ask me to.

Why would someone expect me to go without pay? Why do you feel they have the right to expect you to? (Rhetorical)

[storybookending]

Originally Posted by Cat Herder

I don't use a form but the explanation is pretty simple. I need my full income to be able to continue to provide childcare. I can't go without a paycheck any more than my clients can. It would be rude for them to even ask me to.

Why would someone expect me to go without pay? Why do you feel they have the right to expect you to? (Rhetorical)

No one has even asked yet about payment I just want to be prepared for when it comes up or bring it up first and be like okay here is the date the spot is open and here is what you owe. Both moms have only asked if I have space and I have only answered that two spaces are opening in September that they are welcome to take over.

I kind of want it to be in writing so they have the date esp as it’s still sooo far out. I haven’t run into this yet as I’ve only aged out one so far and I had a family replace that had a flexible start date.

Like I’m thinking maybe an intent to enroll form? Something like that?

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by storybookending

No one has even asked yet about payment I just want to be prepared for when it comes up or bring it up first and be like okay here is the date the spot is open and here is what you owe. Both moms have only asked if I have space and I have only answered that two spaces are opening in September that they are welcome to take over.

I kind of want it to be in writing so they have the date esp as it’s still sooo far out. I haven’t run into this yet as I’ve only aged out one so far and I had a family replace that had a flexible start date.

I also have a space coming open this September. I have 6 families lined up for it on the waiting list, so far, and I will call them in the order listed Mid-August to offer them the slot.

Typically, with such a long gap, a few will have already become comfortable in their current childcare and no longer need the slot that is why I continue to add to the list. If I stopped at one or two I'd have gaps in enrollment almost every time. I am also prepared for unexpected terminations.

When a family agrees to the slot their accounts auto-invoice will start on the very first Monday the slot is available. Attendance is optional. If they don't pay, (extremely rare) it goes to the next family.

With this method I rarely lose more than one weeks tuition.

[Ariana]

Originally Posted by storybookending

No one has even asked yet about payment I just want to be prepared for when it comes up or bring it up first and be like okay here is the date the spot is open and here is what you owe. Both moms have only asked if I have space and I have only answered that two spaces are opening in September that they are welcome to take over.

I kind of want it to be in writing so they have the date esp as it’s still sooo far out. I haven’t run into this yet as I’ve only aged out one so far and I had a family replace that had a flexible start date.

Like I’m thinking maybe an intent to enroll form? Something like that?

I get them to sign a regular contract, the same one they would sign if they were starting the next day. It has the contracted date on it and in ny policy it states that the deposit is non refundable if they forfit the space at any time prior to enrolling. This gives me two weeks paid time to find a replacement. You could do a month depsoit as well, whatever you think you need.

I usually only create a waitlist for families that are not my first choice. I tell them that
I will get in touch if the spot is still open.

[storybookending]

The two infants that I will be starting have older siblings already in care so I would just need to add the unborn siblings to the contract. I have never taken a deposit from anyone but maybe that is the way that I need to go in this case. They can start paying towards it now if they need to spread it out or they can just start out September paying the full rate when the spot is open.