Childcare

/ˈtʃaɪldkeər/

nounBeginnerVery CommonGeneral

Definitions

1

The act of looking after children, typically those who are too young to look after themselves.

/ˈtʃaɪldkeər/

nounneutralBeginner
General

The care and supervision of children.

Finding good childcare is a priority for many parents.

💡 Simply: It's like babysitting, but it can also include preschools, daycare centers, and other places that take care of kids while parents work or are busy.

👶 For kids: Taking care of kids!

More Examples

2

The childcare center offers a variety of activities for children.

How It's Used

Parenting

"Finding affordable childcare is a major concern for many working parents."

Social Services

"The government provides funding for childcare initiatives across the nation."

Combines "child" and "care," emerging in the 20th century as a formalization of the provision of care for children.

The term gained prominence in the latter half of the 20th century as concerns about child welfare increased and more parents entered the workforce.

Memory tip

Think 'child' + 'care' – it's all about taking care of children.

childcarchild carechildecare

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written