By offering benefits that assist workers in attaining a better balance between work and family, employers can improve the quality of work produced for their companies and the quality of life for employees. This report discusses the benefits of dependent care programs, describes the process involved in selecting appropriate programs, and discusses common concerns and issues. Also discussed are demographic trends influencing the growing conflict as employees try to juggle work and family concerns. The report concludes with the findings of an independent survey study on the state of employer-assisted dependent care in Texas and a comparison of Texas with the rest of the country. Out of 6,500 employers surveyed, 1,331 employers returned a mailed survey (22.6 percent response rate). The findings indicated that firms were more likely to provide informational dependent care benefits than they were to offer direct service or direct financial subsidies for care. Flexible work arrangements such as flextime and job sharing were growing in popularity. All benefits were offered to a much greater extent in the largest firms (with over 500 employees) than in smaller. Texas is providing benefits at a lower rate than the nation as a whole. Nationwide, firms whose core employees are professional and technical workers were more likely to provide family-friendly benefits than firms with other types of employees. In Texas, benefits, when offered, were provided at all employee levels. Two appendices describe the survey methodology and the initiatives of the Texas Work and Family Clearinghouse. Contains 51 references. (KB)