Host: What is the difference between preschool and daycare? Rene Hackney: Daycare tends not to be as academically oriented or as active throughout their day. There are many good daycares available, but your search for a daycare would be more on your own. There isn't an accreditation system such as the NAEYC for daycares. So, it would really be a much more active process, really going to visit and see how they run those programs. Preschool tends to be more rigorous, there tends to be more of a schedule in the structure for the children at least in the morning programs, if they are there full day. Often times, you will see a preschool, if it is a full day preschool, their preschool program is more in the morning and then they have more of the care and play situation in the afternoons.