How Does Your Waitlist Rules Work?

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  • TaylorTots
    Daycare.com Member
    • Dec 2013
    • 609

    How Does Your Waitlist Rules Work?

    Do you have a waitlist?

    How do you prioritize?

    FT over PT obviously, but I need more.



    How would you approach the following situation:

    dcb is 12 months. parents are pregnant and want to hold a spot for infant so placed on a waitlist.

    the next dcb is 5yo after school only, has a 2.5yo sibling that mom wants to enroll. so dcb is PT and mom wants a FT spot too. she is placed on waitlist.

    If FT trumps PT do you let the school ager go when the infant enrolls? Or do you place 2.5dcg higher on waitlist because she can start immediately and you are not holding a spot (because dcm will pull 11m old if she doesnt get infant spot, etc). Or do you just do first come first served for waitlist?

    I am not yet in this situation but it is a likely one as I have 2 FT dcps trying to have more babies and the 2.5yo wants on a waitlist.

    I want to have a solid policy in place so that I feel that I have some ground to stand on if this happens
  • blandino
    Daycare.com member
    • Sep 2012
    • 1613

    #2
    I actually had a misunderstanding where a parent thought I would hold a spot with no (not even verbal) commitment. So I created a handout about holding spaces and their options:

    I will copy and paste it.

    Please understand that we are unable to reserve a position for any child between the time your interview with us and the time a commitment is made. In order to reserve your child's position, a non-refundable deposit equal to one week's tuition must be received (this deposit will be credited as your second week of childcare tuition) & an enrollment fee of $35.00.

    We can only hold a position (even with a deposit) for a maximum of two weeks. If you wish to ensure your child's position for longer than two weeks, you then be responsible for the full weekly tuition.

    If we currently have an opening, and you wish to secure that position for a date further than 2 weeks in the future, we will offer you “right of first refusal” for that opening. This means that the opening will be reserved for your child, unless we have another party interested in the opening before the start date you planned on. At that point the decision will be yours, whether you wish to take financial responsibility for the position at that time or you may pass and allow the other interested party to take the opening.

    Otherwise, you may place yourself on our wait list, and we will notify you as positions become available.

    Exceptions include scenarios, where we have another child “moving up” in age, and opening a position for a younger child. Or if you are taking over the spot of a child who is leaving at a future time. In those cases a spot may be held for longer than 2 weeks with a deposit. We will let you know if this applies to you.


    Deposit agreement

    I, _______________________________, wish to reserve a position for my child
    ,________________________________, at ** Daycare beginning on
    ______ /______ /______ . I understand that my deposit of $_________ + an enrollment fee of $35.00, will hold my child's position until the aforementioned date, and then will be credited as tuition for my child's second week of childcare. I also understand that this deposit is non-refundable and if I should choose to alter my childcare arrangements, the deposit will be kept by ** Daycare.

    ____________________________________________ ___________
    parent signature date

    ____________________________________________ ____________

    provider signature date


    The "Right of first refusal" is the BEST (IMHO) way to handle it. You say you WILL hold a spot, but only until someone else wants it - then they can decide whether they would like to pay for it or give it up to someone else.

    My actual wait list, is a list of people who have chosen to be placed on it, and they are listed in chronological order - and when we have an opening I go through the list and contact each person.

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