How would you handle this?

[Lou]

Way back when, a family joined and paid their 2 weeks deposit that is to go towards their last 2 weeks of care. They are staying right up until the end of summer before their little man begins J/K. Mom is also pregnant and taking off the last two weeks of summer before her due date of Sept 1. She wishes for her son to still attend up until the end of August, however he comes full time and for those last 2 weeks she wishes to only send him for 2 days/per week. My question is about the deposit. They put down a deposit of two weeks worth of full time care. Does the deposit go towards the last 10 days in my care? Or the last two weeks (whether he attends full time or not)? What troubles me is that if she's suddenly dropping down to 2 days/week for the last two weeks, those 10 days could spread out to now 3 weeks wherein new money is not coming in, kwim?? Am I making any sense?
So do I,
1) Tell her that the 2 weeks deposit applies to her last 2 weeks of care regardless of attendance?
or
2) Suck it up, and have the deposit apply to the last 10 days of care regardless of when those days happen.

Thoughts?

[Lee-Bee]

I'm not sure I follow. If you have 10 days of pay in the bank (deposit)...why does it matter if you have to stretch it out over 5 weeks (2 days a week) versus 2 weeks (5 days a week) it still covers 10 days of pay.

You could have it cover the last 2 weeks of full time care then have them pay weekly for the part time care. BUT...this really doesn't change anything as it's 10 days of pay that they prepaid as a deposit versus paying now. The monetary value is the same.

[playfelt]

Since the child will be going to JK and no longer in care the two weeks would be his last two weeks of fulltime care and then for all intents and purposes care is over. However the parent has asked you to take the child a couple days between the end of care and school starting and those would be only if the space is still available and paid by cash on the day of care.

[5 Little Monkeys]

I would do what playfelt suggested....Use the deposit towards the last full two weeks and advertise now for your spot to be open at that date. Than she can send her child after that if you have room and it will need to be paid day by day in the morning before care is given.

[Lou]

Thanks ladies! The spot is already filled with a September start date, but that plan sounds perfect, I just wasn't sure how to go about it, or how others would. Thanks for the advice!

[mickyc]

Personally I don't allow parents to just drop down to 2 days a week. If you were full-time then you are charged for that no matter what. I would say that the 2 weeks deposit be used towards their last 2 weeks of care - if they only come 4 days in that 2 weeks then too bad so sad.

My deposit is applied to my families first 2 weeks of care then I never have to worry about it again. You owe what you owe and that is that. I have only had an issue with 1 family over the past 4 years but I finally did get paid in full.