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Parenting8 days ago

The daycare waitlist deposit was non-refundable, and nobody told us

Verdict: I wish I knew this earlierHappened Aug 2026 · danforth_parent · 1 post · member since Mar 2025

We put our daughter on the waitlist at a licensed daycare in east Toronto in March. To hold a spot, we paid a $250 deposit by e-transfer.

A spot opened in August, but it started three weeks before my parental leave ended. We asked to start later. The centre said the deposit is forfeited if you can't take the first date offered. That rule was in a policy document we never received.

Before you pay any waitlist deposit, ask for the deposit policy in writing, and ask what happens if the offered start date doesn't work for you.

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  1. leslieville_dad · 8 days ago

    Same thing happened to us at a different centre. We got half back after asking for the policy we had supposedly agreed to. Ask them to show you where you signed it.

    1. junction_family · 8 days ago

      Worth checking whether your centre is in the $10-a-day program. Our coordinator said waitlist fees work differently there, so ask before you pay.