Child Care

Child care refers to care for children provided by a person other than a parent or legal guardian. Child care is typically seen as distinct from classroom education at the kindergarten level and higher. It can be offered in formal settings, such as child care centers or Head Start programs; by people with a range of training and/or experience, such as those with degrees in early childhood education; or by relatives or friends. Some professionals in the field prefer the term early care and education to the term child care, because of an interest in emphasizing the importance of quality early learning to children’s development, and to convey the degree of professionalism required to maintain a strong public system of care and education. Despite that, ...