Holding a space through Mat leave

[apples and bananas]

I have a parent who just started with me, her little guy is 13 months and shes expecting again in August. It's a great fit and I love the little guy. She is very happy with me as well. So much so, she's asked what she needs to do to maintain me through her mat leave and have a space for both little ones to come in September 2013!

It's such a long way off! I plan to have him part time while mom's on mat leave, he's going to be sharing a space with another part time... that just fell in to place. But how do I guarentee a space for a 2nd one.

Anyone have any experience with this?

[Sandbox Sally]

Are you even sure that you'll have another spot for the new baby come Sept 2013? If you are sure, I'd get her to pay full fees while he comes part time. That way, with your other part timer AND her son, you'd be getting paid for a spot and a half, if that makes sense. It'd keep your spot open for her, but you would only be losing half fees on one spot. Good luck.

[apples and bananas]

I have one child going into grade one Sept 2013, so I'll have the space for her as I won't be doing before and after school care at that point.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I have had this happen to me ... I knew I would be loosing a child to school full time as well because they were not in my school zone ... the client send the older sibling 3 days a week through their mat leave to secure that child's spot - I had a part time family who picked up the other two days so I was not out the income. For the 'new babe' I had the mat leave parent sign a contract at the beginning of her mat leave to secure the second spot and pay the security deposit on the space for a 'tentative' start date of X.

In hindsight if I ever do this again I would also added an 'amendment' that IF the space unexpectedly became available earlier than X date that to continue to secure the spot for X date the client would have to pay for Z # of days per week until X date or forfeit the spot and the security deposit would be returned to her'.

Z days being however many days you could afford to loose in income to 'meet them in the middle' so to speak.

Cause with me initially my child leaving had gave a tentative date of September 4th to leave ... they planned to stay for the summer but than got offered a before and after school spot attached to their school for end of JUNE where they could come full time for the summer in order to secure the before and after school spot come the September if they did not take it there was no guarantee another would come for September - so they pulled early on me which I totally empathize with but I ended up having an opening for 6 weeks between their 'security deposit ran out' and when the newbie was supposed to start ... now I chose to just let it go and forgo the income because I did not WANT a new babe starting over the summer because I like to TRAVEL in summer to keep cool and have fun summer outings and I knew if I had asked this particular family to pay for X number of days they would have sent the teeny tiny babe to me for the whole summer even though they were both home on leave ;)

But in hindsight having it CLEAR in the contract of a prebooking that if the space comes available earlier they would have to either commit to that 'new' space or forgo the space due to the unexpected change would be prudent for me!

[Momof4]

Reggio has fantastic advice obviously but I don't think you should charge the family anything to hold the space. If you already know that you have a space coming available Sept. 2013 I would have them sign a contract and pay a large deposit, maybe a month's fees to ensure they will not pull out on you about Jan. 2013.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I agree Momof4 - I do not charge anything for a pre-booked space, aside from the two weeks security deposit, unless it was an already EMPTY space in which case it is no longer prebooking but rather 'holding' a spot ... if another client is currently sitting in the space I would not feel fair 'double charging' for the space cause IMO if they are paying for it they should be able to USE it if needed and that would not be possible if I am at my 'max 5'.

This is one of the reasons that I rarely allow part time children to pick up extra days when I am 'full' because if someone called in taking a 'vacation day' and something changed and they needed to send their child after all I could find myself in a predicament because the client whose space it is contracted to is entitled to use their paid for space and the client I offered the picked up day to made plans to have that day of care and so forth :(

[mom-in-alberta]

Honestly, I wouldn't be 'guaranteeing' anything at this point. Tell her that you hope that everything works out, and that as things are right now, it's looking good.
But I don't know that I would be promising, as that's a loooooong ways away!! I have the same situation. Mom went on mat leave and we discussed the possibilty of her bringing both her first and the "new" child. We left it open, ultimately.
If you are going to; I would charge a deposit, but as the ladies said, not a monthly "fee" if the spot is actually filled.

[apples and bananas]

It's such a hard balance. Im a little torn. I really like the family, I really like the child and their hours are great! I could fill the spot with a full time when she goes on mat leave this fall as I have 2 on wait list that are contacting me regularly reminding me they're there, but I don't like the families as much. I think she's only offering to bring him pt to maintain his space.

So, I'm thinking of charging her a 3 days min PT spot. Paid Stat's ... vacay... ect. Then once I get into the summer next year charging a deposit for the new ones spot. But Ill let her know upfront that I do not offer sibling discounts. I'm always leary to take siblings, especially full time, as you never know if they will pull out, and if they do, there goes half of your income. Maybe I should charge the deposit to cover the last 2 weeks for both kids based on that situation. ( i normally put the deposit towards the first 2 weeks)

I just want to make sure I'm upfront and honest with her from the beginning. That way there are no surprises come next summer.

thanks for all of your advise ladies

[Momof4]

But are you saying you would have the space already filled and also charge the new family for the space? I'm confused! I would never do that, just ask for the deposit and the contract if all the spaces were currently filled. After all, what if she wanted to use a day and she's technically paying for the space? Just wondering and want to make sure you have thought it all through. Yes, it's still a long way off but it would be fantastic to know that you have it all lined up with no worries.

[apples and bananas]

No, she will be on mat leave starting sept of this year, she wants to maintain her space for her son I currently have. So, she wants a pt space while she's on mat leave from sept 2012 to 2013. Then she wants another space in sept 2013 for baby number 2.

So, I need to figure out what's fair as far as a PT space starting this sept. She only wants to use 2 days a week , But if I can fill the spot with another full time, can I justify only having her pay for 2 days a week? I like the family and would like to maintain them through to baby number 2. I will have a space for baby number 2 come sept 2013.

[Momof4]

Ah, that makes sense. My daycare Mom on mat leave right now is bringing her son 3 days/week until he goes to JK in Sept. She loves that he is learning and socializing at daycare and feels it is better for him than just being at home 7 days/week.

Then when he goes to JK I'm asking them for $200/month which is half the rate they are paying right now for their son to hold the space until Jan. 2013 for their new baby who will be coming full-time. But the space will be empty for 4 months. I would not do this for just any family, you always have to weigh your trust and working relationship with the client.

I like to have some easier days so the 3 days/week is the minimum for a space in my contract. I know others feel it's fair to charge full weekly rates for part-timers too but I don't feel it's fair. We are all different and in the end do what is best for us, so do what you need to do.

[apples and bananas]

I just wanted to get everyones feed back on this. I really like this family and would like to maintain them until baby 2 arrives and much after, but I also have to consider that they will be 1/2 of my income.

I have offered to hold the space for $80 per week for the one I have now as mom wants to be home with him while she's on mat leave. I'll allow him to come for 2 set days for that rate if she wants. If she wants to put him in for additional days the normal rate will apply.

In June of 2013 ( baby 2 will be 1 in September ) I will do the paperwork and take the normal deposit like any new client.

Does this seem fair and reasonable to you? I'm trying to protect myself as well as maintain the family. I also want to make sure I'm covered if they bail last minute. I will have the space avail for the new one as I have one leaving me for school in 2013. So I'm not holding the spot for the new one, I'm just filling a spot that will be ending then. However, I am holding the older ones spot for $80. I could fill with a full time for sept easy! But I'm going to risk it and try to fill the remainder of the PT spot with another PT.

Keep in mind that I don't charge for stats, sick, my vacation and one week of their vacation. I know you're all looking at me like I"m crazy! But it's my leg up in my area. I've gotten and retained a lot of good clients by going this route and it's working for me so far.