Difference between Nursery and Childcare

Key difference: A nursery is a place where the fundamentals of formal education are imparted to children, with the help of play-based teaching techniques. Child care is the term for an institution set up to take care of children, whose parents/guardians are out on work responsibilities.

Childcare A nursery is the first kind of educational experience that a child can receive. Teaching methods at a nursery are really casual and fun. The reason behind this is that children tend to learn about things more passionately, when they’re enticed by them. Keeping this observation in mind, the curriculum in a nursery school is so devised that the children learn as they play. Making use of various toys, games, puzzles, rhymes, etc., nurseries successfully prepare children for their further education.

Nursery Childcare facilitates the provision of care and supervision to a child, whose parent or legal guardian cannot stay with him during work hours. Along with looking after a child’s needs, childcare institutions also present parents/guardians with the option of educating the child intermittently. Some childcare establishments follow an integrated schedule comprising of various activities, including teaching the children. Childcare is also known as nanny care, babysitting, etc.

Comparison between Nursery and Childcare:

	Nursery	Child care
Age group	For ages 3 - 5	For children up to 14 years of age
Purpose	To prepare the child early for education	To provide care and look after the child
Duration	Nursery lasts only for a few hours	Child care could be for many hours at a stretch, for a whole day, or for more than a day or two days etc.
Caretaker	Teacher	Nanny/babysitter/ extended family members
Expense	Nursery is less costlier than child care	Child care is normally expensive as it entails more activities
Place of establishment	Nursery is usually held at a school premises or a secluded enclosure	Child care can be carried out at a child care or day care center or at the child’s place itself
Individual attention	Attention provided to a group or class of children	Attention to single child is at the heart of this action