A study was conducted to identify a range of strategies that New York State government could adopt to stimulate business and industry to provide supportive family benefits, services, and work policies. The investigation included a national survey of state and local government initiatives and a special analysis of policies appropriate for New York State; inquiries were sent to approximately 500 state government agencies, to the mayors of the 100 largest cities in the United States, and to a network of community-based organizations and academic institutions that have been encouraging local employers to consider the family needs of their employees. Phone contact was made with policymakers to determine the reasons for a strategy's success or failure and to investigate the bases for such evaluations. Respondents were found to view government variously as educator, broker, facilitator, and role model. Once the basic roles and strategies had been identified, ideas were presented for refinement to a group of state government, corporate, and community specialists. While final recommendations were targeted for New York State, the criteria applied to their development were seen to provide a framework for any state or locality to use in the creation of policy objectives and strategies to encourage employer support to working parents. (A brief project description, an example of model legislation, and a list of state and local resources are appended.) (RH)