baby-farming

Definition

Noun (mass noun): The practice, often historical, of taking in infants for payment and caring for them, typically in a commercial or exploitative manner, sometimes associated with neglect or improper care.

Usage Examples

• (The practice of paid infant care in the 19th century.)
• (A commercial arrangement involving the care of babies for money.)

Advanced Usage

• "Baby-farming scandal": a public controversy involving the mistreatment of infants in paid care.

  • The baby-farming scandal shocked the nation and led to new child welfare laws. (A high-profile case of exploitative infant care.)

• "Baby-farming industry": the broader commercial sector of paid infant care, often viewed critically.

  • The baby-farming industry thrived in urban areas where working mothers needed childcare. (The business of taking in babies for payment.)

Variants and Related Words

• Baby-farmer (n): a person who engages in baby-farming.
  • The baby-farmer was arrested for neglecting the infants in her care. (Someone who runs a paid infant care service.)

Synonyms

• Child-minding: the act of caring for children, often for payment.
• Foster care (historical): the placement of children in private homes for care (sometimes used interchangeably in historical contexts).
• Infant boarding: the practice of taking in infants for lodging and care.

Related Idioms

• (No common idioms directly associated with "baby-farming"; the term is largely historical and technical.)