In the world of early childhood education, one of the choices parents face is whether to enroll their child in a daycare center or a preschool. These days, the two actually have a lot in common, including being regulated by the same state agencies. Contrary to a common perception, many child care centers also offer educational activities that mirror those in a good preschool, and while daycares tend to be somewhat less expensive on average, they can sometimes match or exceed the cost of comparable preschools. Some preschools also offer before and after school beyond the "official" school day. Nevertheless, there are some other key differences that parents should consider. First, daycare centers almost always offer more flexible hours than preschools, opening earlier, closing later, and continuing to operate during school holidays, which makes them a fantastic option for working parents. Some will even offer customizable schedules, allowing children to attend during specific hour blocks throughout the week. Daycares come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny in-home daycares with a single caregiver, to large age-separated child care centers employing dozens of employees including a director, assistant director, teachers, assistant teachers and child care providers....