Parent Wanting to secure Spot without Interview

I have a full time Sept spot opening for 2+ yrs. Have an inquiry this morning for a child over 2 to start part time and parent asked if they could secure the spot in their first inquiry. No other questions. I replied and said spot is for full time. They just answered and said they will take full time and to secure it now.
Of course I'll have them come for an interview. Isn't it odd that they expect to secure without meeting me first? Red flag? Do I just say ok - send me 2 weeks non-refundable deposit and we'll hope for the best? I'm thinking no!

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Originally Posted by ebhappydc

I have a full time Sept spot opening for 2+ yrs. Have an inquiry this morning for a child over 2 to start part time and parent asked if they could secure the spot in their first inquiry. No other questions. I replied and said spot is for full time. They just answered and said they will take full time and to secure it now.
Of course I'll have them come for an interview. Isn't it odd that they expect to secure without meeting me first? Red flag? Do I just say ok - send me 2 weeks non-refundable deposit and we'll hope for the best? I'm thinking no!

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If it was via email it is liekly the well known skam that goes around many times a year. They will send you too much money. Ask for some back. Then the original check bounces and you lose money.

Regardless there is no way i would EVER sign up a family without meeting them first. Why would you sign a contract with someone you havent met. Yoh will be STUCK with them. They could be horrible to work with.

I also insist on meeting BOTH parents before signing. Once dad couldnt make it. Mom and baby came. They were PERFECT then her phone rang. It was dad. I have never heard such anger in my life. I could hear his screaming over the phone. He was furious that she left the house while he was at work. Furious. I was scared. I could NOT sign them on. What if he was angry about something that happened in care and was acting like that in my daycare? No way I could have such an angry man in my personal home or near my daycare children.

Oh true - could be scam so I'll be careful. In any event, I advised the mom I'd need to interview first - turns out she and her husband are from another province and starting new jobs in Ontario during the summer . She can Skype or send a friend for interview. Apparently she'll be living and working as a nurse north in the country which is opposite direction from my daycare. I wouldn't get the chance to meet the child either and skyping with a child might be awkward. I also think once she is actually here, she'll look for something that works better ... I mean, what nursing job at a hospital allows for 8am to 5pm daycare hours which includes an hour drive each way? Of course she's desperate to secure something but I'm probably a tie-over. Too bad, as inquiries for over twos are scarce.

Absolutely not! You need to meet all family members and child first. I watch the dynamics of the family interactions and how they deal with each other, and child’s behaviour etc. It often speaks volumes about the type of clients they will be in the future. I have turned away several clients after the interview just based on the dynamics of the parents interactions with each other. Ie dismissive dad who wouldn’t let mom talk or disagreed with everything she said etc.
I don’t know if a Skype interview will give you the same insight as a face to face interview.
Good luck!

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Originally Posted by ebhappydc

I have a full time Sept spot opening for 2+ yrs. Have an inquiry this morning for a child over 2 to start part time and parent asked if they could secure the spot in their first inquiry. No other questions. I replied and said spot is for full time. They just answered and said they will take full time and to secure it now.
Of course I'll have them come for an interview. Isn't it odd that they expect to secure without meeting me first? Red flag? Do I just say ok - send me 2 weeks non-refundable deposit and we'll hope for the best? I'm thinking no!

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Some parents simply have no idea how this industry works and assume that all child care is licensed, inspected and that they have to just pick what day care they want and be given the space. They don't understand that this is a two way interview process (because it isn't in a center) and they don't understand that they have to put up money for a space to be held. So while it isn't usual, it's not the first time I've heard of this.

If you have just answered and said they will take full time then use this to respond with an interview date and time, send them a copy of your contract and paperwork, let them know that if they do secure the space after interview you will require both the signed contract and a deposit and go from there. I would also let them know you are expecting the child to be present at the interview too.

While it's not an outright red flag, one thought that crossed my mind is their child may be very busy and has burned their bridges with previous carers especially when you look at the age of the child. Maybe they are hopeful they can secure care without an interview due to behaviors. Or perhaps their child has special/additional needs which when they disclose them, they have been turned away.

I would meet with them and take it from there. I wouldn't just take their money without meeting both parents and child.

Hi. I had that case a few years ago. Just when the rules where changing in my province. I had two spots open for over two's and I thought I would be closing in no time. (We know it us hard to fill over two's spots).

Just when I started looking for other jobs, I got an email message for two spots siblings over two's and same they wanted those spots to be kept. Well in my case I didn't have much to lose (the market for over two's was getting to challenging no spot inquires , and anyway in September I was loosing three children); the family asked to wiRe money I refused I said that I'll keep the spots (and definitely let them know if there is more interest). Either way I was empty starting Sep. With only two baby spots filled.

Right on the middle of september that family arrived and right away came to my place with the payment. They were from Australia, they did all their search online!

They bought their house across mine months before their arrival and did daycare search, I didn't know but they have been contacting past clients (many live in my neighbourhood) all online, asking for references etc.

And all that time I was unsuspicious of what was going on. I couldn't believe it.

Their children were a dream in my care so, so cute. And we'll behaved. Their daycare centre was a paradise in Australia but their mom and dad got good offers here in Canada and they decided to move. My house was just so convenient my references were excellent so all their move was smooth.

That thaught me that new generations move and search much different than I do. All is done online.

After all, they were able to show me how they knew about me. It was an online conversation about childcare and one of my past clients left a positive and touching information about my services, helping the new family to go ahead with that positive feeling.

That's one of the reasons I keep suggesting to my family, close friends and relatives to be aware that without us knowing, a lot can be found online about ourselves (and I do not have facebook)

having a very similar dilemma, how did it work out for you?

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Originally Posted by samslittleones

having a very similar dilemma, how did it work out for you?

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I ended up advising them to find care closer to their home or work. I googled the drive they would end up doing (3 hour drive per day) to drop child and them back tracking to work x 2. I knew they wouldn't be able to sustain that and I'd eventually lose them. If distance wasn't an issue I would still have insisted on meeting fist to decide if child suitable for my daycare. My 2+ spot remains open, sigh.

I had something somewhat similar happen to me a few weeks ago. she asked to start partime for the start and she was very quick at answering my emails. then she asked me if I can send her the forms and the parent handbook so when she comes for the tour and insisted she wanted to sign up she has everything ready.as soon as I sent her the forms and the handbook she never responded to a single of my emails. my guess was she wanted an easy access to a daycare package either she wanted to start her own daycare or anything else I dont know but all kinds of strange people out there especially for our business when we have to advertise online.