Six specific objectives have been identified for the study, including: 1) to develop an understanding of state child care and welfare policies and how these are implemented at the community-level; 2) to develop an understanding of how other community-level factors (e.g., the community poverty rate, labor market, and the nature and scope of institutions related to child care) affect the way that communities are organized to help low-income families address work and child care needs; 3) to examine the effects of child care and welfare policies and community-level factors on the demand for and the supply of child care, and on the types of child care arrangements that low-income parents make; 4) to examine changes in policies and programs over time and the effects of these changes; 5) to examine and model the child care decisions of low-income families and the role of child care subsidies in decision-making; and 6) to conduct an in-depth examination of family child care used by low-income families, including the role of family child care in helping poor families manage the competing demands of work and child care, and children’s experiences in the care environment.

The study has three components: the state and community study, the community survey, and the in-depth study of family child care.

2. To develop an understanding of how other community-level factors (e.g., the community poverty rate, labor market, and the nature and scope of institutions related to child care) affect the way that communities are organized to help low-income families address work and child care needs;

3. To examine the effects of child care and welfare policies and community-level factors on the demand for and the supply of child care, and on the types of child care arrangements that low-income parents make;

4. To examine changes in policies and programs over time and the effects of these changes;

5. To examine and model the child care decisions of low-income families and the role of child care subsidies in decision-making; and

6. To conduct an in-depth examination of family child care used by low-income families, including the role of family child care in helping poor families manage the competing demands of work and child care, and children's experiences in the care environment.

Community Survey: A random sample of 5,000 low-income families (200 families in each community) with working parents and at least one child under age nine for whom they use non-parental child care is selected in the same 25 study communities. In-depth Study of Family Child Care: 130 low-income parents in each community who are receiving, or have applied for, child care subsidies, and who have at least one child between one and nine years who is using family child care at the start of the study (total sample =650). In addition, the family child care provider linked with each family is recruited, for a total sample of 650 family child care providers at the start of the study.