This report draws on a recent survey--the 1997 National Survey of America's Families (NSAF)--to examine child care arrangements and expenses for working families with children under age 13 in the state of Mississippi. Key components of the project include a household survey, studies of policies in 13 states, and a database with information on all states and the District of Columbia. This report provides data on the types of child care arrangements families use, the number of arrangements they use, the hours children spend in child care, and the amount families spend on child care. The report begins by describing key facts related to child care in Mississippi and defining relevant terms. Findings regarding the types and number of child care arrangements and the hours spent in care are examined for children under 5 years of age. Findings on the numbers of school-age children in supervised arrangements, self-care, and parent/other care follow. Child care expenses are examined for all families overall and for two particular groups of families: those with older versus younger children, and families with different earnings levels. Costs in Mississippi are then compared to those nationwide. Findings of this report reveal that almost 60 percent of mothers with children under age 5 and more than two-thirds of mothers with school-age children are employed. More than 80 percent of children under age 5 with employed mothers are in some form of nonparental child care, with almost 60 percent in full-time care. More than half of 6- to 9-year- olds are in supervised arrangements, compared with slightly more than two-fifths of 10- to 12-year-olds. The use of self-care increases as children get older. Low-income families spend more than twice as much for child care as a percentage of their earnings as do higher-earning families. (KB)