Day care or child care is care of a child during the day by a person other than the child's parents or legal guardians, typically someone outside the child's immediate family. Day care is provided in nurseries or creches or by childminders caring for children in their own homes. Babysitting is the occasional temporary care of a child during the absence of his or her parents. Child care or day care is ongoing care during specific periods, such as the parents' time at work. Child care can also take on a more formal structure, with education, child development, discipline and even preschool falling into the fold of services. Some childminders care for children from several families at the same time, either in their own home or in a specialized day care facility.
