This report details a study of regulations for day care centers in the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Data were collected by means of a mail questionnaire sent to each state central regulatory office. Following an introduction by Kay Hollestelle, the Children's Foundation executive director, the report defines terms used in state regulations and highlights the questions most frequently asked regarding state regulation of day care centers. The remainder of the report contains state-by-state summaries of day care center regulations, organized in alphabetical order by state or territory. In addition to contact information for each state regulatory agency, information is provided in 27 categories: (1) number and definition of regulatory programs; (2) regulations; (3) complaint procedures; (4) staff prescreening; (5) child documentation policy; (6) discipline policy; (7) environmental policy; (8) regulatory processing subcontracting policy; (9) swimming pool policy; (10) infant care policy; (11) programs for children with disabilities; (12) sick child care programs; (13) reporting child abuse and neglect; (14) new or pending legislation; (15) requirements; (16) unannounced inspection policy; (17) staff qualifications; (18) staff training; (19) child immunization policy; (20) emergency medical consent policy; (21) national life safety fire code; (22) smoking policy; (23) transportation policy; (24) overnight care programs; (25) school age care programs; (26) subsidized programs; and (27) local contacts. (KB)