Daycare is a place where young children are cared for during the day while their parents are at work. Most daycares look after babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, providing meals, playtime, naps, and activities in a safe environment with trained caregivers.

Parents typically drop their children off at daycare in the morning and pick them up in the evening. During the day, kids might play with toys, listen to stories, do art projects, play outside, and learn basic skills like sharing and following simple routines. Some daycares focus mainly on play and care, while others include structured learning to help prepare children for kindergarten.

The word can also refer to care for other groups who need daytime supervision, like adult daycare centers for elderly people or those with disabilities.

Before daycares became widespread in the 1900s, children usually stayed home with a parent, grandparent, or older sibling. Today, daycare serves millions of families and plays an important role in early childhood, giving kids their first experiences with structured group settings and friendships outside their family.