Holding spots but someone wants immediate care...

[Cocoon]

How are you going to ruin your reputation? By giving them 4 months to find another day home or by returning their deposit and advance payment in full? It could be the other way. Like it happened to me just 2 days ago. They could have commit to you and after a while come back to you and say that they changed their mind or something else came up( mostly free or cheaper care option ) I don't think you will ruin anything. And your reason is perfectly understandable. Give them the option to start early if not then take on the other family. This is your business and you should look after yourself and your family first. And don't feel guilty. Hope it helps.

[Inspired by Reggio]

....Give them the option to start early if not then take on the other family. This is your business and you should look after yourself and your family first. And don't feel guilty. Hope it helps.

This is a good alternative IMO ... I do not hold spots where I am forgoing income for the reason I have stated but I have had clients wanting to return to space from maternity leave at X date and well a spot comes open earlier I give them the option to either take that spot by committing and paying for it OR I will advertize to fill it externally and they risk there not being another one come X date ... to me that is fair cause well I cannot be expected to forgo 2 or 3 months income just cause I like them ... now if there was some other benefit in it for me I would and have done it ... aka I once wanted low ratios for summer so left a spot open for July and had a client wanting a September start meet me in the middle for August with starting the last two weeks full time early to 'wean in' while mom was still home to come if child was not coping ~ fair compromise.

I have also 'prebooked' spots that were to be coming available with outside clients .... aka current client gives me a years notice that they will be done next September for school so I prebook a new client for September start date but the contract says right on it .... "tentative start date of X based on projected enrollment at this time ~ if for some reason the opening comes available SOONER than a Y date the client must commit to the earlier start date of forfeit the spot. In case where client chooses to forfeit the opening this contract relates to they will be placed at the top of the waiting list but there will be no guarantee if that next opening may be.' If they were to turn DOWN a spot I would make them sign a form saying they did so to cover my ass

So for example I am willing to give a 'buffer' of a couple weeks so if the current client told me tentative September 5th was going to be their last date months prior and they end up leaving early cause they choose to take holidays the last two weeks of August when the formal termination letter came I would suck up that lost income .... however if they end up leaving in JUNE well than the incoming client who wanted the space for September and had left a pre booking deposit for it would either have to commit to a BEGINNING JULY start date of forgo the prebooked space due to the unforeseen changes in enrollment ... if that makes sense?

[Spixie33]

That is a tough predicament. Personally ...this is just me...I would stick with the original families you signed no matter what since they gave a deposit and signed registration forms.
You have to keep your word on that and honour that just as you would want them to honour your agreement/start date and not back out on you.
I would be worried if they bad mouth you. Even with plenty of notice - they might tell people you left them high and dry and didn't honour your agreement.

I would do all of them. Considering one is part time - I think you can do it.

Otherwise I would stop advertising if I was you and tell people you can add them to your wait list if anything changes or anything falls through.

[gramma]

If I make a committment to someone to hold a spot, i would honour that commitment but having said that I probably wouldnt hold 3 spots for this very reason. I would interview the people that have contacted you for sure, they may not even be a good fit you never know. I agree that we all have to look after ourselves but you made the commitment to these families knowing their start dates and that you wouldnt have the income until then. In my experience if families provide a deposit, they are serious about wanting the spot. We have all be screwed by families at on time or another and I totally get that any one of these families could change their mind but so could the family who wants to start in November. We just never know how things will go, we have to do what our hearts tell us is the right thing. You may want to consider what has already been suggested which is to take on the extra family and with your part timer, you would only have 5 kids twice a week. best of luck.

[Inspired by Reggio]

How are you going to ruin your reputation? ....

I agree that from our perspective it should not affect reputation cause you've given notice and returned the deposit ... however like any 'termination' of an arrangement it does have the potential of getting poor word of mouth going depending on how the client takes it .... that does not mean a provider should never terminate just that should weigh that risk when doing so!

On so many parenting boards you read the 'beware of X provider' posts about angry parents who thought they had childcare all arranged and the provider changed their mind on them ... telling only their side of the story and often leaving out little details like she gave them 4 months notice and refunded the deposit cause well the whole truth does not garner as much sympathy for them and when people are angry they only tend to focus on the 'negative' aspect of things