Deposit To Hold A Spot For An Infant?

[3girls]

I have a family who is planning ahead for an infant who will need care 6 months from now. I was trying to think of an appropriate fee to hold that spot open. I was thinking one month's worth of fees?

What do you charge/how do you handle this kind of thing? Do you refund the deposit or no?

[daycare]

I have a family who is planning ahead for an infant who will need care 6 months from now. I was trying to think of an appropriate fee to hold that spot open. I was thinking one month's worth of fees?

What do you charge/how do you handle this kind of thing? Do you refund the deposit or no?

I charge $100.00 per month. If it is several months I ask that they pay half up front and then half in the middle of the time frame from when care is to take place.

In your case I would do $250.00 up front to hold the spot and then in two and half months have them pay the rest.

I would also make them sign a contract. There is ZERO refund.

[Lilbutterflie]

I held a spot for an infant for 4 months last year; and charged a two week deposit. I had them sign my full contract as well as a deposit contract stating that it was NONrefundable and could be used towards the last two weeks of care.

I recently gave them two weeks notice (the child would not sleep in my care, among lots of other issues). They told me that since I gave them notice they did not feel comfortable finishing out the last two weeks. They asked for their deposit back since they wouldn't be using my services!! I said "NO WAY JOSE! Your deposit was nonrefundable, remember that I held this spot for your for FOUR months before your DD was born! I have your contract to prove it." They didn't push me on it again; but if I had not done the deposit contract, they may have taken me to court for it.

[Crazy8]

I always wonder what to do in this situation too. I know as a parent you want to secure your daycare, but as a provider I HATE holding a spot for that long. I generally just don't do it - I tell them to contact me closer to their start date to see if I have the opening. I am ok with a month or even two and just charge them a holding fee based on that length of time, but I do not like holding a spot for 6 months!!

[cheeseheadmama]

I have only had to hold a spot once and made sure that I had a deposit equal to 2 weeks of care, applied to the last 2 weeks. Made sure that ALL paperwork was signed and returned with the deposit check for the spot to be held.

Around here, I have gotten a couple of kids because the waiting periods are so long for center care. The waiting period for an infant at a good center is something like 3 years and to even get on the list you have to put down a non-refundable deposit. I have one family with me today because they were silly enough to wait to find daycare until after the baby was born! (said with lots of sarcasm)

[dEHmom]

Deposit of 2 weeks is NON REFUNDABLE applied to FINAL 2 weeks of care.

Holding fee of _____ (I charge 50%) of the regular fees biweekly. I give them 2 weeks at no charge then they start paying. So if they are starting 1 month from today, charge them 2 weeks deposit plus 1 week of your regular rate. If 6 months from now, you charge them 2 weeks deposit, plus 2.75 x your normal rate. (5.5 months /2).



When I had someone holding the Preschool spot until the infant spot opened, I charged them 50% of the preschool space rate because the infant space wasn't open yet, so it wasn't fair to charge them infant rate. But I could've. Most daycares here charge 100% rate to hold a spot.

One time i held a spot for 3 months, with only the deposit. They walked away 1 week before they were supposed to start and i had turned away many families and they had already found care. Luckily I had another family call me THAT DAY and so i was able to fill it.

[MarinaVanessa]

I would also make them sign a contract. There is ZERO refund.

Yes but also make it clear what exactly the fee is for. For example if what they pay now will be used towards their deposit then call it a holding deposit. BUT, and this is important, don't call it a deposit if what they will be paying you for is not going to count towards their 2 week deposit or tuition.

For example, when I hold a spot for somone they are paying me $100 per month for me to hold the spot. I do not call it a deposit because that's not what it is. I call it a "Holding Fee". I make it clear that the holding fee is only to hold their spot. I also require a 2 week security deposit and a signed contract with the specific date that they will start just like any other client. I tend to only hold a spot for 2 months and both the holding fee and security deposit need to be paid in full before I will hold their spot. Neither are refundable or used towards their tuition once they start.

If I were to 2 hold a spot for longer than 2 months I thing that I would do just as Daycare said and ask for half up front and then the other half halfway through the holding time.

I've never had it happen before but I suppose that if a client were to ask to hold a spot for them and paid the holding fee and the 2 weeks deposit and then changed their mind then nothing would be refunded but I would give them the option to have their child attend for the 2 weeks that they paid their 2 week deposit for starting on their original start date as was in their contract. If they refused then not only do they lose their holding fee money but also their 2 week deposit.