Noting that the availability of affordable, quality child care continues to be a major concern of parents, especially mothers, this book offers practical information for solving problems and making decisions about day care. Chapter 1 examines the problem of working families and day care. Chapter 2 explains why the need for child care has increased and why the supply of child care has not kept pace with the need. The history of child care and changes in the availability of services are examined in chapter 3. Chapter 4 reports on the current state of day care in the United States and chapter 5 discusses the effects of day care on children. Chapter 6 examines three aspects of day care that affect children's experience and learning. Chapter 7 discusses the caregiver's role in children's development. Individual differences and the effects of day care are detailed in chapter 8. Guidelines for evaluating high-quality child care are provided in chapter 9, and chapter 10 looks at day care in other countries. The final chapter discusses the future of day care in the United States and offers suggestions for improving the child care situation. References for each chapter are included as well as 11 titles for further reading. (TJQ)