Deposits

[Busy B Daycare]

I am a licensed daycare provider and have been for over 7 years. I don't normally have trouble keeping my spots filled. I have never required a deposit, as I live in a small town and have never had any trouble. I recently found myself with a couple of openings due to a family moving and have advertised. One prospective call I have had is a young lady who is pregnant and is looking for care for the baby in 6 months. She is due in 3 months and is taking 3 months off work. I have never been in this situation before and not sure what to do about a deposit. I told her that there will have to be a deposit made, but that we would discuss the details when we meet later this week.

I was thinking, since it is 6 months down the road and I have to have some compensation to hold that spot for such a long time that she would need to go ahead and pay 1/2 of the monthly fee to hold the spot until November. Does this sound unreasonable? She is wanting to secure a daycare spot since we are in a small town. She actually lives in the next town over about 6 miles away, where there are a handful of daycares, but they are either full or won't take newborns. I am the only provider in my town, and there is an apparent baby boom going on around the area and everyone is frantically searching for daycare, so I am sure that I will get another call similar to this one.

Does anyone have any ideas for me? I am anxious to hear your responses!!

Thanks!

[emosks]

We charge $100 per month to hold a spot if they aren't starting within 2 weeks.

[momma2girls]

I begin to charge 1 week dep. per month. I didn't do this prior to this yr. and a big mistake I have learnt from- I held a spot for a newborn for 10 months before she is going back to work, for a measly 2 week dep. boy what a mistake, in the meantime, I have had tons of calls for newborns!! All the money I lost out on!!!

[momma2girls]

I am a licensed daycare provider and have been for over 7 years. I don't normally have trouble keeping my spots filled. I have never required a deposit, as I live in a small town and have never had any trouble. I recently found myself with a couple of openings due to a family moving and have advertised. One prospective call I have had is a young lady who is pregnant and is looking for care for the baby in 6 months. She is due in 3 months and is taking 3 months off work. I have never been in this situation before and not sure what to do about a deposit. I told her that there will have to be a deposit made, but that we would discuss the details when we meet later this week.

I was thinking, since it is 6 months down the road and I have to have some compensation to hold that spot for such a long time that she would need to go ahead and pay 1/2 of the monthly fee to hold the spot until November. Does this sound unreasonable? She is wanting to secure a daycare spot since we are in a small town. She actually lives in the next town over about 6 miles away, where there are a handful of daycares, but they are either full or won't take newborns. I am the only provider in my town, and there is an apparent baby boom going on around the area and everyone is frantically searching for daycare, so I am sure that I will get another call similar to this one.

Does anyone have any ideas for me? I am anxious to hear your responses!!

Thanks!

Where are you from? What state?

[Busy B Daycare]

I am from Kansas. Thanks for the input. Not sure what I am going to do yet. 6 months is a long time to not have that spot paying full time. I think if she agrees to half of a full time spot I will be happy.

[momma2girls]

It is really hard to know what to do. There are tons of daycare providers here in my area, that hold a spot for 100% each week, and I know some do 1/2 the weekly rate. I am still kind of up in the air about it, wondering just what to do. I think the 1 week per month, is fine for now with me.

[originalkat]

What part of Kansas are you from? I am in Wichita.

[Busy B Daycare]

I am 25 miles NW of Manhattan.

[Unregistered]

just a suggestion to most of these posts I've noticed.
As a daycare provider, I often find it difficult to fill spots when I have current clients leaving. Mostly due to everyone having kids at the same time, everyone needing care at the same time. So everyone calls at the same time, and if you choose a family, and they leave after a few months for whatever reason, all the others have located care in the meantime. early spring and late fall seems to be when everyone is needing the childcare in my town.

One suggestion that I use myself, is for them to place a deposit, and whether you charge a holding fee or not is up to you (which would be the 25 or 50% fee you charge during the holding period) which does not get put towards their actual days of care! (hence holding fee and not a deposit).
But in the meantime you can take on someone else, with the condition that care will end as of this date. unless the person you are holding for backs out.