Based on the fact that many women in the Tamil Nadu state of India were performing triple roles as mother, worker, and homemaker, this descriptive study attempted to provide information which would portray the real situation about the child care needs and strategies of women working in the state's unorganized sector. The objectives of the study were to examine: (1) the working condition of women in various occupations that have a bearing on child care; (2) problems in child care; (3) how working mothers cope with child care; (4) the outcome of the responsibility for child care placed on siblings; (5) the factors related to breastfeeding practices; (6) the pattern of utilization of available child care facilities by working mothers; and (7) the opinions of working mothers regarding the quality of child care provided by the government and voluntary organizations. Interviews were conducted with 1,000 mothers from Tamil Nadu who engage in different occupations. Detailed statistical analyses of results were presented in the areas of time factors, distance factors, income factors, and child care strategies. The results indicated that there was a gap between needs and services, and that the quality of services was generally poor. Results suggest that fundamental changes in attitudes are needed among employers, policy makers, and the public. Contains a list of readings and an appendix charting the care of children of working mothers in this state. (MOK)