Potential new dcm OFFERS to pay to hold spot

[NightOwl]

Yep. She OFFERED. Made me feel appreciated.
Anyway, this will be my first experience with holding a spot as most people don't use that option. How do you guys do it? Do you charge a flat weekly fee? Is it your full rate? Or do you charge a deposit instead? She wants me to hold it until January.

[Second Home]

I have never held a spot .

But good for you that she offered up front .

[CraftyMom]

I have never put it into action, but have it in my policies that I charge full rate to hold the spot.

[SSWonders]

That is fantastic!!! Other than one week's payment to hold the fee, I've never had any pay, or offer, to hold a spot. Don't let that DCF get away!

[spinnymarie]

Good for her for knowing good care is a hot commodity!
My families all pay monthly, including those holding a spot.
If the spot is open, they pay full-price. If it's a spot that WILL be opening in the future, they pay the enrollment fee and then start paying when the spot opens, whether they are coming or not.

[Indianadaycare]

Yep. She OFFERED. Made me feel appreciated.
Anyway, this will be my first experience with holding a spot as most people don't use that option. How do you guys do it? Do you charge a flat weekly fee? Is it your full rate? Or do you charge a deposit instead? She wants me to hold it until January.

Isn't that a good feeling? Good for you!

I just went through this. Family wants me to hold a spot, so at the interview, I explained that in order to hold a spot, they would need to agree with my policy handbook, fill out/sign the paperwork and return that with a (non refundable) "holding fee" check = to two weeks of childcare. (That two weeks tuition may be applied to the last two weeks of care, provided they give written two weeks notice when terminating. If not, the two weeks tuition is non refundable.) At that point, I am holding the spot for them. If another family then calls and wants the same spot, I give first family (who has paid to hold the spot) a call to see if they still want the spot. If they do still want the spot, they start paying half tuition from that point up until their child enters daycare. Once in daycare, they then pay full tuition. If they say they no longer want/need the spot, I keep the non refundable holding fee and open the spot to the second family who just requested it.

There are many different ways that others use, but this worked very well for me, and family also thought it made sense and were happy to write the check for the holding fee.

[craftymissbeth]

I don't hold any spots for a discounted rate, so yeah it would be my full weekly rate. I would be willing to lower it to the minimum (my rates vary based on pick-up times from $90-$140 per week) regardless of the times they'll be attending when they actually do start... and then I'd adjust it to match their pick up time when they start. If that even makes sense ::

That's great that she offered to pay!

[permanentvacation]

Congratulations! Makes you feel good doesn't it?

I have had a few parents offer to pay for me to hold their spot for them. It really shows that they believe that your daycare is better than the others they have seen and they want to make SURE to get a space in YOUR daycare! It makes you feel really good!

I typically charge 1/2 price per week to hold the space. I allow the parents to pay either weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. I think the longest I have held a space is 3 months. The mother was still pregnant, due in 6 wks and then they were going to wait until the baby was 6 wks old for him to start daycare.

[SilverSabre25]

I'm just starting to charge to hold a spot and I'm charging...wait for it.... $10/week.

Yes, that's right, I'm charging just a 12th of my usual rate. But--no one here charges to hold spots. There are scads of SAHMs watching "just a couple" kids and charging dirt cheap prices. My location ****s, I don't stand out, and what people want I can't/won't/don't offer (low ratio, $15/day or less, complete formal all day preschool, stupid hours, weekends, etc...sometimes all from the same person!). So a lot of what works for others won't work for me. So I have to ease into it gradually and this is what works. The last time I held a spot for more than SIX MONTHS (existing client) and then she bailed on me. So....nope. no more.

[MarinaVanessa]

I don't hold spots anymore. I let them know to call me when it comes closer to when they need care and then I'll do interviews etc. I will hold a spot for maybe 2-3 weeks but that's it and only if I have a contract signed, all paperwork filled out and turned in and a 2 week non-refundable deposit in my hand.

I've had too many people say they're interested and then change their mind and either find cheaper child care, find family that will help or decide to stay home with their babies. I've also heard of a few providers who were sued for their 2 week deposits and had to give it back because there was no services provided. Not sure how that all works but for that reason I just don't hold spots anymore.

[permanentvacation]

It's in my contract that once a payment has been made, it is non-refundable. That keeps them from being able to get their money back if they change their minds. I tell them the reason for the money not being refundable is that I might have turned other possible clients away because they paid for the space. So if they change their minds, they can't get a refund.

[MarinaVanessa]

It's in my contract that once a payment has been made, it is non-refundable. That keeps them from being able to get their money back if they change their minds. I tell them the reason for the money not being refundable is that I might have turned other possible clients away because they paid for the space. So if they change their minds, they can't get a refund.

This is exactly as how the providers I know had it in their contracts. They still lost and had to refund the money because they "never rendered services". There was also a case like thus for Judge Judy or one of those court TV shows and the child care provider had to pay back the deposit and it was all in her contract too but I can't remember if that was in CA or if it was in another state.

[jenboo]

I had someone recently want to do the same thing! But I went with a different family.
They were going to pay full tuition to hold the spot.

[AmyKidsCo]

LOVE that!

If it were a baby I'd charge full amount because I can fill an infant spot in an instant. If it were an over-two I'd charge less - maybe half - unless another over-two wanted the spot, then the first family would have the option of paying full amount or losing the spot.

[Cradle2crayons]

I charge half the rate to hold a spot. Not refundable.