My last 3 little ones who started at my daycare screamed for 1)4 months 2)2 months & 3)2 1/2 months before they finally settled in and became happy. I kept talking to the parents and getting them to help out to adjust their child to daycare and gave them all the tips I could. A few things like having the same meal and naptime schedule on the weekend, not running to pick them up at every whimper but letting them learn to be more independent and less clingy, things like that. I also learned that the don't settle in until they are full-time so get to that point as fast as you can.

Meals and naps and the screaming are the Big Three of problems that we deal with on a regular basis when we start new children but keep it going and teach the children that it's the same every day and you won't cave in no matter what. Try to teach the parents that those things are really important too. If the parents don't help me I have to terminate. If the parents are really trying then I keep trying.

About the deposit though - it should go to the LAST weeks of care, not the first. That's how most of us do it anyway. And when I'm saving a space for a month or more it is NOT refundable or applied to the last weeks of care.