Payment While DCM Is On Maternity Leave?

[DaycareMom]

I just found out today that DCM is pregnant!

She mentioned that she would be taking 3 or 4 months of maternity leave so she would be home with both children for the 3 - 4 months.

Once her maternity leave is up, both kids will be coming to me so essentially I am holding 2 spots for 3-4 months.

Should I charge her the full amount of at least the one child I am currently watching to hold her spot?

What is ur policy regarding this? This is my first time running into this issue so I am not sure how much to charge.

Any advice/help is appreciated!

[SandeeAR]

At my Daycare, the current child would be full price. The Baby would be half price until it started my care. I would have a contract on the Baby, before I would even begin to hold it with the 1/2 price fee. I have a "holding contract" just for that reason. It states NO REFUNDS for any reason. Upon beginning of care, the baby would have a new Full time (regular) contract.

[Ariana]

My policy is 50% the rate for the spot. It also states that if I'm holding a spot for a sibling then a mutually agreeable payment plan would be discussed. I think full pay for one spot sounds fair.

[permanentvacation]

My policy is the exact same as SandeeAR. I have had a couple of parents that did this with me. They paid full price weekly for the current child plus 1/2 price weekly for the newborn til they started. Then paid full price weekly for both kids. I also have had a couple of new moms that did not have a child already in my care. They were pregnant for the 1st time and wanted me to hold a space for their newborn. They paid me 1/2 price weekly for the last couple of months of pregnancy and for the 1st 6 wks while the baby stayed home with mom. Then when baby started with me, they went to full price weekly.

[permanentvacation]

Oh yeah, and no refunds on either child. A two weeks notice - if you typically have one, would also apply for the holding spots.

[REWALKER04]

My cost to hold a spot for a child is half of the fulltime week rate for the month. But that is before the child starts (usually its just been unborn babies) I would probably make the mom pay the whole amount for the child currently in your daycare because he is already signed up for a fulltime spot!

[momma2girls]

I had this recently in my daycare. THey continued to bring along the sibling fulltime, while she was home with the baby. THey gave me a 2 week holding fee for the baby.