noun
nursery school; day care center
A facility where preschool children are cared for while their parents work or are otherwise unable to look after them. In Japan, 保育所 is a legally defined institution under the Child Welfare Act.
彼女は保育所で働いています。
She works at a nursery school.
子どもを保育所に預ける。
I leave my child at the day care center.
幼稚園 is a kindergarten for children aged 3–5, focusing on early education, while 保育所 is a day care facility that provides care for children from infancy to preschool age, often for working parents.
Compound of 保育 (hoiku, 'childcare') + 所 (sho, 'place').