This report presents the results of research that gathered baseline data for a proposed evaluation of the Family Matters Project, an early intervention program that studied the utility of family and local resources as support systems in the care of preschoolers. Conducted in Syracuse, New York, the research collected demographic data, descriptions of sample families' surrounding contexts (neighborhood, work world, and personal social networks), and parents' perceptions of children and children's activities. The information was expected to provide insights into aspects of the ecology of family life that are likely to affect and be affected by the intervention program. Chapters one and two explain the purpose, theory, and methodology of the study. Chapter three presents findings on the effects of mothers' work status and education upon their perceptions of their children. Chapter four examines whether families in poor affluent neighborhoods perceive their neighborhoods as supportive systems for child rearing. Chapter five relates parents' social relationship network structures and their perceptions of their children. Chapter six examines how parents' social networks and racial messages influence children's racial preference patterns. Finally, chapter seven discusses implications of the findings for evaluating the the Family Matters Project. (Author/MJL)