Contract

[Momof4]

Wow, it's wonderful that you can be picky and wait for the perfect families, that's awesome! Good for you because when you are relaxed and not in any kind of desperate mode you will definitely attract the clients you want to have in your life. Never accept anybody who you will have to worry about following your rules and policies or giving you any grief because it just isn't worth it. Accept the families who share the same childrearing philosophies as you and will work with you as a team.

Raising other people's children is a challenge and very different from raising your own children. Running a daycare is a learning experience every day.

I have a Mom on mat leave who will be coming back next Feb. and has already paid me her deposit and signed the contract so yes, that's how I handle things. I have all my spaces full and a child will be leaving when her baby starts so my fees are all being paid in full right now. Otherwise, I would have charged this mat leave Mom a $200/month holding fee until she was planning on coming back. Her son left in Sept. for JK and I accepted a baby to fill his space or she would have been paying the holding fee. It all worked out perfectly. I hope that makes sense to you!

So if you plan on opening in Jan. for instance and you have somebody who wants to start in Feb. charge them the deposit and a holding fee until their start date to hold their space.