I charge a $200/month holding fee for anyone who wants to hold a space for more than 1 month. They pay me a $200 reg. fee and then the holding fee. I've been burnt in the past and won't be burnt again. You need to charge something to hold a spot for that long...that is a lot of income lost! I also don't even look/interview a family when the baby isn't even born yet. That's just crazy/stupid on the parents part. So much can change in a year and first time parents can be crazy and you might not even want them in care.