Parents of children with mental or physical handicaps often experience overwhelming feelings of stress and anxiety. Research indicates that support for the primary caregiver can help alleviate some stressors involved in raising a child with a handicap. This study examined how level of support affects feelings of satisfaction the primary caregiver has when raising a Down Syndrome child. It was hypothesized that the caregiver's positive feeling of satisfaction would correlate positively with level of support found within the informal support system (family, relatives, friends) and level of utilization of the formal support system (doctors, teachers, support groups). It was also hypothesized that the informal support system would be more beneficial than formal networks of support. Data were collected using a 35-item questionnaire from a national sample of 82 volunteers and were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance and correlational techniques. A significant correlation was found between positive feelings of satisfaction and both informal support formal support. However, the informal support system was not found to be more beneficial. These findings indicate that help from any level of ecological influence may have positive effects on primary caregiver's feelings of satisfaction. Contains 24 references. (Author/JBJ)