Quote Originally Posted by ebhappydc View Post
Hi ,
I received an inquiry this morning to interview for a spot for next October 2018. I do have daycare kids leaving for JK that September and I'm currently full until then. I haven't held a spot that long before, as so many things can change in a year. Ive held for 6 months before and have gotten burned. Since I'm full til then I can't really charge more than a deposit right? I do think that families start looking for care a year in advance though and I wouldn't want to pass up a good family. Have you interviewed that far in advance and held spot that long before? I usually start interviewing in spring for same year Fall spots. Comments? TX!
I don't hold empty spaces but I do contract for a space that I know is opening up in future, especially the September spaces from kids aging out because I prefer to know those are filled. I don't like getting caught up in the battle of everyone fighting over the same handful of people wanting care in that month when many have spaces to offer.

So what I do is make it clear that with a deposit and a contract, they can take the space BUT they are expected to pay for it the second it becomes empty. I will not double-dip on a space and charge a client for a space that is still occupied but come the second week of September, when the older child goes to school, the space is empty and I would expect it to be paid for even if the new client didn't need care until October.

The new client has the option of knowing that they have care secured so far in advance but there is a cost to that. I have the comfort of knowing my September spaces are filled. I do tell the new client that the space is there's from the moment they begin paying for it and so they can use it if they want to. This helps if a parent wants a slow phase in too.

The other option which I don't use myself, is the parent pays a retaining fee from the time the space is vacated until the date they want to start care. If they paid 50% of the fees for you to keep that space sitting empty until their preferred start date, at least both you and they are taking the financial hit and they can see you are committed to them and you can see they are committed to you. I would be really clear though that with them only paying a portion of the fees, they cannot use the space, there's no drop in phase in days during that time either. Maybe that would better suit you.