Need Help Wording a Letter

[momofboys]

I have decided to send my teacher-mom a letter asking if she wishes to retain my services this fall. I am going to let her know I have another family in my care & want to give her first dibs as to if she wants to come back or not. I won't care for 2 families at once. There are pros & cons to each family but the gist of it for me is with this family I get breaks & summers off. It's hard for me to turn down. I am not in DC to make tons, just enough to cover groceries. Anyway, please give me as much advice/critique this as much as you can. Or should I just call & ask her rather than send a letter? Thank you!


Dear Parent:

I hope you & the children are enjoying a much needed restful summer. The kids & I are having a good time together. I am providing care for a family part-time this summer & they have asked if I could care for their children this fall also. I am reluctant to respond until I see if you still wish to use my services this fall. I don't desire to take on more than I can handle. So prior to answering this parent's request I need to know your intentions for the fall. If you do wish to utilize my services for childcare in the fall I will need the attached 2010-2011 paperwork returned to me by July 10th along with a non-refundable deposit of $100.00 to hold your spot for the fall. If I do not hear from you by July 10th I will assume you don't wish to use my services this fall & I will pass your spot along to this other family.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

[momma2girls]

I have decided to send my teacher-mom a letter asking if she wishes to retain my services this fall. I am going to let her know I have another family in my care & want to give her first dibs as to if she wants to come back or not. I won't care for 2 families at once. There are pros & cons to each family but the gist of it for me is with this family I get breaks & summers off. It's hard for me to turn down. I am not in DC to make tons, just enough to cover groceries. Anyway, please give me as much advice/critique this as much as you can. Or should I just call & ask her rather than send a letter? Thank you!


Dear Parent:

I hope you & the children are enjoying a much needed restful summer. The kids & I are having a good time together. I am providing care for a family part-time this summer & they have asked if I could care for their children this fall also. I am reluctant to respond until I see if you still wish to use my services this fall. I don't desire to take on more than I can handle. So prior to answering this parent's request I need to know your intentions for the fall. If you do wish to utilize my services for childcare in the fall I will need the attached 2010-2011 paperwork returned to me by July 10th along with a non-refundable deposit of $100.00 to hold your spot for the fall. If I do not hear from you by July 10th I will assume you don't wish to use my services this fall & I will pass your spot along to this other family.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

I have teacher's children and I have a 2 week deposit to hold their spot all summer long!! This is only to hold the spot!! I know of many, many other daycares, and centers that charge the full price each week to hold their spot!!

[Michael]

It sounds good. I would just shorten this line:

So prior to answering this parent's request I need to know your intentions for the fall. If you do wish to utilize my services for childcare in the fall I will need the attached

to this:

Prior to answering this parent's request I need to know if you wish to utilize my services for childcare this Fall. If so, I will need the attached ...

[momofboys]

I have teacher's children and I have a 2 week deposit to hold their spot all summer long!! This is only to hold the spot!! I know of many, many other daycares, and centers that charge the full price each week to hold their spot!!

How do I word that? "I will require a fee of $***XX to hold your spot. This fee is not refundable & is strictly for holding your spot" I don't like the wording.

[momma2girls]

How do I word that? "I will require a fee of $***XX to hold your spot. This fee is not refundable & is strictly for holding your spot" I don't like the wording.

I have it as if you would like me to hold a spot for your child/children(ex. summers off) I require a 2 week deposit. This deposit is only to hold your spot and is nonrefundable.

[professionalmom]

How do I word that? "I will require a fee of $***XX to hold your spot. This fee is not refundable & is strictly for holding your spot" I don't like the wording.

You can call it a "holding fee" and explain in your 2010-2011 contract that a "holding fee" is nonrefundable and is merely a form of assurance that they will, in fact, uphold their contractual obligations under the contract. At least that is how I would word it, I think. But I haven't spent much time mulling it over.

[QualiTcare]

i would just call. when things are on paper, people can read it over and over and twist it into what they think it means.

being as though it's the end of june - she might not like the idea of having a deposit sprung on her. i mean i would think that'd be something you did when she left - not out of the blue.

[momofboys]

Thank you all!

[momofboys]

You are right, QualiTCare. I probably should have told her about it. This is my first year doing DC at home so really there are a lot of things I am still learning about. To be honest I am hoping when she gets the letter she decides she doesn't want to fuss with the fee & looks for someone else. I am not really happy with her or her husband right now. And I guess that is just me wanting to appear like the happy daycare worker but still slightly bitter about the poor way they treated me. Not good, I know. I probably won't send a letter but was trying to think of ways to word it properly in case I decided to do so. I properly should just call her & maybe I will. I need to try to figure out what these other parents would need from me in the fall. They have hinted several times they'd like to keep coming to my home. Decisions, decisions. . . .thanks everyone for your responses!