Adult children are the primary family supports to the frail elderly, and daughters predominate as providers of direct services. The trend toward smaller families and the increased proportion of working women, however, may limit the availability of daughters. Adult children (N=131) identified as the primary caregiving relative to an older parent were interviewed to determine how sons, as compared to daughters, differentially performed and experienced the caregiving role. Results indicated that caregiving was primarily the role of daughters and daughters-in-law. Sons became primary caregivers when a daughter was not available. As caregivers, sons encountered the same situations as daughters in terms of their parent's needs. On gross indicators of involvement with parents (living arrangements, telephone calls, visiting), the patterns evidenced among sons were similar to those of daughters. Findings on specific caregiving activities indicated that, with the exception of health care, daughters were significantly more likely to help their parents with all "hands-on" services (transportation, housework, cooking, personal care). Sons tended to provide less extensive support to parents as compared to daughters and to have less stressful caregiving experiences. The findings imply that elderly parents who can only depend on sons are, to a certain extent, at a disadvantage. (NRB)