Research indicates that staff in non-profit child care centers, compared to those in private centers, tend to receive higher wages, express greater job satisfaction and commitment, and are better trained and more experienced in child care. This study presents results of a survey of 32 staff members in 2 private and 3 non-profit centers in New Zealand. Staff were asked about qualifications, work history, motivations for working in child care, the most and least favorable aspects of their work, and how they saw the future of child care in New Zealand. In addition, four workers were interviewed in depth--three from private centers, one from a non-profit center--about their relationships with their employers and the rewards and difficulties of their work situations. Survey and interview results indicated that, in general, workers in privately owned centers experienced poorer conditions than their colleagues in non-profit centers, and several gave accounts of harassment by their employer, including direct threats and intimidation. These results are considered in light of the historical context for child care in New Zealand, including important social trends such as the feminist resurgence of the 1970s. Significant theories that have affected social attitudes toward women and child care are also described, and their relevance to the trends indicated by the present study is outlined. The study argues that despite significant advances in the unionization and professionalization of child care workers, women in this field are still motivated primarily by the intrinsic rewards of the work. (HTH)