Parents lose childcare slots if they miss a single week's payment but waitlists are 6-18 months

Most childcare centers require payment for every enrolled week regardless of attendance -- sick days, vacations, holidays -- and many will forfeit a child's slot after just one missed payment. Parents cannot risk losing the slot because re-enrollment waitlists run 6 to 18 months for infant and toddler rooms. This creates a coercive payment dynamic where parents pay $1,200+/month even during weeks they use zero care, effectively subsidizing the center's fixed costs. The structural reason is that centers operate at 95%+ capacity with waitlists, giving them zero incentive to offer flexible billing. Parents have no leverage because the supply shortage means the center will immediately fill any vacated slot.