Noting the increasing attention in child care professions to the importance of understanding children in the context of their families, this guide attempts to help child care staff get a clearer idea of the feelings which parents have about placing their children in daycare. Forming partnerships between parents and child caregivers is emphasized through looking at child care situations from the parent's perspective. The chapters are as follows: (1) "Introduction," emphasizing that parents are the most important people in a child's life; (2) "What is a Partnership? How Can We Help Create One?," focusing on parent-caregiver partnerships--asserts that mutual respect, trust, sensitivity, communication, common goals, teamwork, equality, and shared decision making should all be components of the partnership; (3) "What Partnership Is Not," emphasizing that a partnership is not the same as parent involvement or parent participation; (4) "Through a Parent's Eyes," describing common situations that occur when parents use day care and focusing on empathy on the part of caregivers; and (5) "Not All Parents Are Lovely," asserting that while most parents are reasonable, responsible, and caring concerning their children, some are difficult, critical, irresponsible, or uncooperative. (BGC)