child care

Definition

Noun: 1. A professional or organized service providing supervision and nurturing for children, typically while their parents or guardians are at work or otherwise occupied. This refers to the industry, system, or facility (like a daycare center) dedicated to looking after children. 2. The act or responsibility of tending to and supervising a child's needs. This can refer to the general task of caring for a child, whether done by a parent, family member, or paid professional.

Usage Examples

Noun (Service):
- Finding affordable, high-quality child care is a challenge for many working families.
- The company offers on-site child care for its employees.
- She works in the child care sector.
Noun (Act/Responsibility):
- The parents divided the child care duties equally.
- His job involves the child care of infants and toddlers.

Advanced Usage

"child care leave": A period of authorized absence from work to care for a child, often following parental leave.
- She took child care leave when her son started school.
"child care provider": An individual or organization that offers child care services.
- All child care providers must be licensed by the state.

Variants and Related Words

Childcare (noun): A common alternative spelling, often used as a closed compound word (e.g., childcare costs, childcare worker).
Daycare (noun): A specific type of child care service where children are cared for during the day, often in a center-based setting. While related, "daycare" is more specific than the broader term "child care."
Babysitting (noun): The temporary, often informal, care of a child, typically in the child's own home.