Family child care is the fastest growing segment of the child care industry and the type most often used by low-income families. It is largely unregulated, with poor children most likely to be in low-quality family child care homes. Family child care is underfunded, disorganized, and not structured to meet increased demands for service delivery. Many community groups serve as focal points of activity around this issue, providing information, training, and resources to help support family child care providers. Approaches range from loosely structured associations to more formal arrangements implemented through nonprofit community-based organizations. Family child care networks require ongoing funding, which can be difficult to secure. Some states provide stipends that minimally help support these networks, and a limited number of national foundations provide support. Network efforts could benefit from more analysis of successful practices and sharing of lessons learned, but few organizations have the resources to conduct evaluations. In the long term, the family child care industry needs significant increases in public funding to meet the demand for quality care in low-income neighborhoods. In the short term, private funding is essential to meet pressing needs. (Contains 22 references.) (SM)