Charlie Hinton is a hardworking father whose wife Kim has just gone back to work as a lawyer. They enroll their child, Ben, in Chapman Academy, a very academic pre-school headed by Miss Harridan. Soon after, Charlie is laid off. In need of money, he opens up a day care center, Daddy Day Care, with the help of his best friend Phil Ryerson. At first, the local moms are suspicious of men wanting to work with children (mainly because they think they are homosexual or child molesters). But as Daddy Day Care is cheaper and more child-centered than the academy, the latter begins to lose popularity. Miss Harridan attempts to shut down Daddy Day Care by notifying child services that Charlie and Phil are not following the regulations.