Hyphenate Child Care?

Yes, I would. Hyphenating modifiers is typically to remove ambiguity and I do believe there's the possibility of ambiguity here. Child-care providers are providers of child care; child care providers could possibly be children who provide care (not likely, but still...).

I would hyphenate it if it's used as an adjective, definitely. I think it's probably also correct to make it one word: childcare.

Yes, hyphenate when used as an adjective.

CaroGirl said:

child care providers could possibly be children who provide care.

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This is that old compound-modifier debate. You would be OK to hyphenate all compound modifiers all the time--a little stiff perhaps, but still correct.

A lot of good writers would not hyphenate a compound modifier when no reasonable person would be confused by it sans hyphen. And that is also fine. But people disagree all the time about how often to hyphenate compound modifiers. The main rule: If there is a chance of confusion, hyphenate it.

I tend to lean more toward the stiff side; I hyphenate compound modifiers pretty liberally. But, I would take child care on a case-by-case basis. I would hyphenate child-care provider, but not child care program.

Check out Bill Walsh's "The Elephants of Style," pp. 131-133.

veronie said:

This is that old compound-modifier debate. You would be OK to hyphenate all compound modifiers all the time--a little stiff perhaps, but still correct.

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I don't think that's actually correct--they're hyphenated when they precede the noun they're modifying (child-care providers), but not otherwise (providers of child care). But I suppose in the latter case, "child care" is no longer a modifier.

I agree with ideagirl--and it was entirely my idea!

Maryn, most agreeable