a service involving care for other people's children

In the old days, the royalty hired nannies to watch their offspring while they administered the realm and held vast parties celebrating their own power. Today, parents seek competent people to work at caring for their children while they work at earning enough money to pay the mortgage, and maybe catch a movie every month or two. Up until two-year-old. families usually hire an individual (i.e. illegal immigrant). After two, organized child care groups or pre-schools take over. Parents seeking childcare should proceed through friends, and thoroughly check the references and background of the providers. Some companies -- a vast minority -- now help employees with the expense of providing childcare. President Clinton has signalled his intention to offer federal money to help poor and middle-income parents pay for childcare and join the workforce.

Broadly based concept covering the provision of public, private, individual or collective services to meet the needs of children and parents.