A while ago I think it was in April I posted on the forum and asked everyone's opinion on taking in four kids every other week for summer care. They are a blended family who are with the parents every other week. I agreed that it would be something that I was interested in doing because it would give me time to spend with my own kids when they were not here. A lot of people expressed that they had concerns caring for siblings from a blended family.
So here is an update:
March 22: Inquiry for care through e-mail.
April 2: asked my location and if I could take them every other week.
April 3: Telephone interview.
April 5: e-mail expressing definite interest.
April 10. Interview at my house. Reviewed pricing, policies, deposits. Stated they were interested. Left with Daycare Policy book.
April 16: e-mail stating definite interest. Told me they had skimmed through Policy book. Wants to finalize things. Told me when the first week of care would be and when they had booked holidays.
April 25. responded to my e-mail. again still interested. will finalize things after they move to new house.
May 8: I asked for a deposit to hold their spots.
May 8: left me a phone message telling me she would drop off a deposit to hold the spots. left for vacation. Did not hear anything for a while.
May 26? Phone conversation again stating wanting to finalize things and give me a deposit in a week.
June 7: Responded to my text message asking again if they were still committed. she stated that she would use e transfer to deposit $ to hold the spots.
June 7: e transferred $ to me.
June 12: sent her policy book and contract stating fees, payment schedule, deposit amount received and balance remaining. and a list of the weeks of care required.
June 14: I received a text message from her stating that her sister in law would be watching the kids for free and asking for her deposit back.
So now what? I told her that her deposit was to hold the spots. I had explained that the deposit was going to go towards the last week of care in August. she gave me $300 which is half of what they would pay for a week. They needed to give another $900 to complete the two week deposit. When she backed out I offered to take just a one week deposit to help them out. She is threatening to sue me, and has also threatened to put up ads on Kajiji and other sites telling people what I have done. She is telling me I have taken her $. In my opinion, she has told me she is committed multiple times since April. I think the deposit is compensation for me now that I am technically out of work in two weeks when I have a complete turnover now that school is out. would you give the deposit back?
I know I shouldn't have put all of my eggs in one basket. I was again being nice and trusting. I said multiple times in e-mails and text conversation the deposit was to secure the spots but it would be put towards the last week of care. Opinions please?