Families have a variety of options when deciding who will care for their children. Types of arrangements used by families include parent only care, care by a relative, non-relative care (in a family child care home or in the child's home), center-based child care, and "before and after school" care.

There is no standard definition of early childhood care and education for young children. However, the Annenberg Public Policy Center produced a report in 2003 titled, "Analysis of the Messages of the Early Childhood Movement" that defines the term "child care/early education" and identifies ways to craft messages and use communication strategies to increase support for dedicated federal and state resources for young children. These concensus recommendations were determined after interviews were conducted, messaging strategies and press releases/websites were reviewed, and data was studied during communications with 92 state and national organizations involved in early childhood development.

The American Academy of Pediatrics defined and justified the use of the term "early education and child care" in the article "Improving the Health and Safety of Children in Nonparental Early Education and Child Care" that was published in Pediatrics in Review in March 2005 (authored by Susan Aronson, MD, and CMDR Timothy R. Shope, MD, MPH). This article states:

"…Early education and child care" is a preferred term because it emphasizes that education occurs in all settings, whether the quality is excellent or poor…Although some centers call themselves "child development centers," "preschools," or "academies," the names do not indicate the quality of the content of the program. Developmentally appropriate education for all ages served should be present in all types of care."

This term is also used in the AAP policy statement "Quality Early Education and Child Care From Birth to Kindergarten", that was published in Pediatrics in January 2006. The policy explains that "early education" includes all of a child's experiences at home, in preschool settings, and in other forms of child care. Therefore, when the AAP uses the term "early education and child care" it encompasses all of the situations described above as well as school-age child care.