I have a few clients intrested in my 1 spot. They all need care in the fall. I'm in the process of licensing so I can only sign up one right now. I want to charge a holding fee.
It would help me pay for the licensing costs but I feel guilty asking that because I'm not licensed.
What is the right thing to do?

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If you charge one, you need to be able and willing to refund it if you can't/don't get the license. How many will you be able to have once your licensed? I guess if I was in your situation I wouldn't feel right taking a fee until I knew everything was finalized. Have you considered starting a waiting list? A waiting list wouldn't have a fee of course, but also I wouldn't give out enrollment paperwork yet. I myself wouldn't feel right charging if I wasn't ready and able to do the care the day I charged. A holding fee is fine in some situations, I just wouldn't use it here.

ETA: If you can fill one spot now, go ahead and use that to help your fees. Just don't do anything above what they allow because when they come out for that visit you want everything as perfect as possible.

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Instead of charging an enrollment fee for holding space(s) you don't technically have right now to hold, why not charge a registration or enrollment fee?

I'd state that it is to cover the costs of enrollment/paperwork and that it is NON-REFUNDABLE ONLY if you for some reason are not able to open.

I think it would help cover the costs of licensing and can't really be considered questionable since it's not "holding" anything but IS being used for paperwork/enrollment/registration.

HTH

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My enrollment fee is non-refundable and covers the cost of enrolling the child.

IMO, if you're not set up and ready to take the child right away you shouldn't charge a holding fee, because the spot they'd be paying to hold doesn't really exist. Does that make sense?

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I charged a family part time, 25 hrs worth of care, each week to hold a spot. They were grateful! Either that or wait and see if I have a spot.

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I would agree with that if the spots were actually there to be used. But in the OPs case there is only one spot. In my business I wouldn't feel right charging people for spots that don't exist. I guess that would be like the grocery store charging me for meat that they don't have and don't know if they will get it.

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But I do have a spot.
I can watch 1 child while I am getting my license. So I am ready right now! But the client is not.

I could start a child right now or just hold the spot until a client needs me...in august.

I'm not talking about holding future spots I may or may not have.

Just talking about the one I do have.

I think I am going to charge a weekly fee and the policy will be...until the date they chose to start they will pay the weekly fee...$25 or something...and if the date comes and they choose to not use my services I will keep the money. If for some reason I do not accept them on the date they determine, then I will refund all money. And if things go as plan then I will keep the money as the holding fee it was.

How does that sound?

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Charging a holding fee for a spot you have is fine! I thought you had several families wanting several spots that you didn't have yet. If you have a spot and a family wants it held, by all means charge them for it. Some charge full rate, some charge half. If they really want it, they will pay. But I wouldn't charge several families for that one spot (how I read it to begin with).

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sounds great!

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I would also tell them that if someone needs care prior to their start date then they would need to pay more. Not fair to you ya know?

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