When a daycare centre or a school based daycare program notify someone off the waiting list they only have a week to make up their mind if they want to take the spot and start paying for it meaning they can't double pay for more than that which is why that is all the notice they gave.

My guess with the original post is that the family was on a wait list and had been told they would have a space by January and one came up sooner so they took it.

It is hard not to take it personally for sure.