I think a few variables come into play in deciding the holding fee.

The key one...can you afford to hold the spot for the 3 months at less than full price?

Do you expect you would otherwise be able to fill this space for March? If you are fully confident you can and you will therefore be losing income charge more than if you are not sure it would be filled anyways. For example, many daycares in Ontario are struggling to fill the over 2yr spots so if you have a 2 yr old that wants that spot 3 months from when it opens you might be wise to secure then for a low holding fee...just to ensure you eventually fill it! If it is an under 2yrs spot and you can fill it really fast then there is less risk of it remaining empty if you try to charge a high holding fee. Frankly I am not sure i would lower the fee at all for an under 2 space with the market right now.

The other thing is...how much do you like this family! Because lets face it...some families are worth their weight in gold and are worth losing a few months fees and other families, well they just aren't!!

I would interview the family and tell them you have a few interviews right now...after you meet everyone you will be in touch with your holding fee should they be the best candidate. Hold off until after you have met them to tell them the fee so you can get a feel for how worthy they may be of a discount to try and secure them!