I have a $50 registration fee plus one week's worth of care due on signing and forfeited if care doesn't start. What I am going to implement with new clients is that the payment is due in advance in such as way that the deposit is really the last week of care in the sense of they are paying one week for care the next week. That way I don't have to be as concerned about late payments because no care has been given. That means when they start care they will still give me money for a week but it will be for week 2 - ie care for week 3 will be paid during week 2. That also means that if they fudge around all week and don't bring any money then that is already one week of notice and I have the original deposit for the second week. By week 3 they aren't welcome back anyways.