childcare

noun

child·​care ˈchī(-ə)ld-ˌker 

variants or child care

: the care of children especially as a service while parents are working

Erratic week-to-week work schedules make it nearly impossible to manage a personal budget or secure childcare.

—David Dayen

Examples of childcare in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There is the realness of relentless childcare, the care of elderly parents, of diminishing returns. —Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026

As a result, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI ramped up their presence across the Twin Cities, and federal funding for childcare in the entire state was temporarily frozen pending a federal investigation of the allegations. —Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026

Supporters say making sure childcare workers recognize the warning signs of abuse could make all the difference for vulnerable children. —Caroline Foreback, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026

This was par for the course back then; according to a Pew Research Center study, in 2016, fathers spent an average of eight hours per week on childcare—triple the amount in 1965. —Pamela Brill, Parents, 3 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for childcare

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• compare
• cookware