What would you do?

[Spixie33]

I have some of my dcks leaving for JK in September and a couple of spots opening up.

I have had a few inquiries already for those spots so I decided I should be prudent and email one of my current PT moms and ask her what her plans are for September so I can plan accordingly. DCM recently had her second baby. She used to be FT but now sends her child 1 day per week.

She replied that she plans to find a new job in the fall and wants to send both her children. She has decided that commuting to her current job (after mat leave) would be too far.

So..now I am nervous. Two FT spots are worth $1400 a month and she is asking me to hold this for her.

It makes me nervous to have 2 FT spots from one family and it makes me nervous that she is asking me to hold these for her based on a job she may not even get for a few months after September. They are a nice family - no issues but is that worth the gamble of possibly being out $1400 a month.

I am just worried she won't find a job exactly at that time and then it could be multiple months where she can't afford to send two children FT and meanwhile I am losing money.

I am not sure what to do here.

I wish I could just take the other families who seem interested to sign for September or sign another interested family because staying with this family almost sounds like I am being asked to take a gamble. I feel like I should stick by them though because I don't have a good reason not to yet. They are kind and without issues - it is just that I am not confident that the job situation will work out and I will lose income.

Would you tell her okay - you will save the spots or would you tell her that you have to keep your options open just in case her job hunt doesn't pan out as planned??

[BlueRose]

I would not hold a spot for more then 3 months and at $100/week non-refundable plus a full non-refundable deposit.

If you want just tell her she can either pay a holding fee and deposit for each of the kids or you will have to full the spots.

or

you could just tell her you can not hold the spots that longer and say good-bye.

Your business comes first.

[Crayola kiddies]

I have a holding fee of $250/month plus a two week deposit that is applied to the last two weeks if already commenced care...... I would tell her that if she wants you to hold the spots otherwise she will just have to take her chances that the spots are still available if and when she gets a job ...... Good luck

[Spixie33]

I totally agree in terms of holding fees or not holding spots long term but the thing that makes this complicated is that I don't technically have these spots open until September so I am not technically holding an empty spot.

She is confident she will find a job for that time...but the job market can be unpredictable and it can take many months to find a job and even if you find a job - you can lose it during the probation period or decide it isn't a good fit. The new job part makes me nervous.

and she isn't a new client - she is someone who was FT until she went on Mat leave and she is still attending PT during mat leave so I feel like she should probably get first dibs at the spot since she is an existing client. KWIM?

It is just the idea of me committing to her and then her possibly saying "sorry I haven't found a job" in september and meanwhile I have turned away other good families saying I am full.

[cfred]

You could certainly keep her on, but as the other ladies said, I would go for a holding fee and monthly fees. I did it in good faith for a good client and the kids were placed in larger daycare 6 wks before full time care was to begin....cost to my family - $15,000. NEVER AGAIN! Asking you to hold till September is pretty tough too....that's a long, long time. Maybe hit her again with the idea around May or June?

[BlueRose]

I totally agree in terms of holding fees or not holding spots long term but the thing that makes this complicated is that I don't technically have these spots open until September so I am not technically holding an empty spot.
in this case I would ask for deposits for both the spots and a start date. If she doesn't start on the start date that you agree too then she forfeits the deposits and the spots can be filled by someone else. If she can start on the start date great and the deposits go to the last two weeks of care. It would be just like any new client.

[Crayola kiddies]

Well if the spots don't come available till sept then I would tell her if she wants the spots she has to give you a two week deposit for both kids and she has to start paying full fees as of sept xxxxx regardless of weather she has a job or not or she losses the spot and you keep the deposit

[playfelt]

She needs to sign the contract now and pay the deposit to hold the spaces - deposit for both that is non refundable and goes towards first, last whatever weeks you have. I would say she somewhat forfeited her first deposit if she made one when she switched to PT and brought your income down.

This is the same as if you did't take them and interviewed next week and signed on a new family. Either one could just as easily stiff you in September with no job and pulling - moms on mat leave are supposed to have a job to go back to but it doesn't have to be the same one so some don't like what is offered and don't take it.

[Sandbox Sally]

Right...same here. Two week deposit ($700) and signed contract for both kids. Make sure it's clearly stated in your contract that if she chooses not to send them, she does not get her deposit back.

Sadly, there's no other way to do it. Even this doesn't guarantee that she'll keep her word, but the chances vastly increase if she's shelling out that much.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I do not 'hold' spots but I have prebooked spaces that were full at the moment but I knew would be opening up tentatively at the time a mat leave mom was returning ~ I also make it clear in any contract like that the contract is for a 'tentative start date of X should the space come available early than anticipated the client has the option to accept the early start date OR forfiet the prebooked space and return to the waiting list'!

[Momof4]

You won't have spaces sitting empty so you can't charge her any holding fees, but if it were me I would get her to pay the deposit and sign the contract around July to get a firm commitment. Because that would give you time to advertise and fill the Sept. spaces if she backs out.

[Spixie33]

The sad part is that I have had 3 other inquires for September in the last few days and now I am telling them I am tentatively full. It hurts sending back that reply when they could be great families/children too.

I think the part that makes me most nervous is just that it is one family taking up 2 full time spots. I have always avoided that and if it doesn't work out then I am in trouble. I have held spots 6+_ months before for single children and had it work out and I was not too worried if it didn't because it was one spot but two just raises the stakes.

And then the family who wants the 2 spots showed up 2 hours late yesterday without a call or email or anything. It made me wonder how things would be full time with two of theirs

[Crayola kiddies]

I wouldn't turn people away .... Interview them .... Maybe they are a good match ..... Just let the families that you interview know that you haven't finished interviewing yet and you will let them know.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I keep interview until I have a signed contract and deposit in my hand - until that occurs she has not committed to it and anything can happen!

I have had lots of siblings in care over the years and while it does come with that financial risk of two spots opening if something goes wrong for me all the older ones went off to school and other before and after care and wee sibling stayed here so it was only 1 spot at a time typically opening only 1 client this fall where I had both kids head off full time to school cause 1 was in grade 1 and younger was full day every day JK ... but that was once out of the 5 sets of siblings I have had?

[kidlove]

If I were you I would advertise in the mean time and if you get a fulltime opportunity with another family? take it! i have experienced holding spots for mothers on mat leave that intended to bring both kids back to me and they either made other arrangements to save money or tried to drop their hours back to save them money and I ended up losing them as clients or losing money due to my kindness. IF you find tqo families to fill the spots you will be better off anyway. Like so many of thes women have told me in the past....having a family of two children is a liability anyway, if they leave..you loose two spots.

[playfelt]

Have you told your current parent that you are starting to interview for September spaces and if she wants to reserve them she needs to sign contracts and pay the deposit. If she does that then ok. IF she doesn't then go ahead and interview and take whoever signs first.

Sometimes I consider how old the oldest child will be in the sense of if the child will only be with me for one more year when mat leave is over and I am not in the school district for the child then the chances of the mom not moving both kids is slim. Getting into school based care is very difficult here with long waiting lists so chances are she will be looking for a new caregiver in her area and for many they will only take a school age child if they come with a younger sibling that gives more of an income.

This might actually be the time to speak with the parent about how practical it is for them to return to care - forget how old the child is.