We are not allowed to take a deposit. And by that I mean, it's illegal. No money can be paid to a DCP until the first day the child comes. This has happened a few times to me...if you have a contract starting on, say Monday, and the child is sick or just doesn't come for a day or a few days, you miss out on the pay for those days. Completely, no kidding, no recourse. If the parent decides on the morning the contract is to start that they don't want daycare anymore (and this has happened to me too) they owe nothing. So, I don't try to fill spots months in advance because I always end up losing out. Because this is a very regulated system here, this kind of thing is a problem for a lot of people and the government is even trying to fix it but there are two laws in conflict and two different departments that have to get together... blahhh!

I think I envy the rest of you who can have some compensation for people who want to hold a spot and totally flake...