Children who were not employed often helped their parents by taking care of younger children; for working parents this was the only alternative to expensive babysitting costs. "Baby farms" provided care for young children but at great risk to their health. Such institutions were usually resorted to by young mothers deserted by the baby's father. Charitable nurseries existed from the 18905 on, but their capacity was limited by the resources of the middle- and upper-class women who ran them.
