The single most important and anxiety-ridden decision every working parent needs to make is, "Who will care for my child?" This book offers parents information needed to make informed decisions about child care, addressing the specific issues, joys, and obstacles of the child care center. The goal of the book is to give parents a comprehensive understanding of how and why center life works, and provide specific tools to help make the center work for them. The chapters of the book are: (1) "The Decision: Is a Child Care Center the Right Choice for Me?"; (2) "The Search: Finding and Selecting the Right Center"; (3) "The Evaluation: How Do They Measure Up?"; (4) "The Transition: How You and Your Child Can Make the Adjustment"; (5) "The Reality: Life in a Child Care Center"; (6) "The Survival: Babies and Toddlers"; (7) "The Endurance: Preschoolers"; (8) "The Personal Side: Taking It Home"; (9) "The Success: Children Thriving in Child Care Centers"; (10) "The Home Stretch: School-Age Child Care"; (11) "Making It Work: Some Final Thoughts"; (12) "State Licensing Standards"; and (13) "Parent's Notes." (HTH)