This report presents summaries of 21 papers which address various issues related to day care policy formation. The papers were commissioned as part of the information gathering and dissemination activities of the Federal Interagency Day Care Requirements (FIDCR) Appropriateness Study. The summaries of the papers are divided into four topical clusters. Cluster I includes two papers which describe the history of FIDCR. These papers review the factors which precipitated the development of the requirements, their intended role, proposed revisions and possible problem areas. Cluster II includes six papers which address issues related to the role of federal, state and local governments in day care policies. Some of the issues reviewed include historical involvement, legality, federal-state cooperation, alternatives to FIDCR, enforcement of standards and child care in other countries. Cluster III papers describe the impact of day care on children, families and caregivers. The issues emphasized in these 12 papers include the impact of day care on families and society, infant and preschool child development, parent involvement, child-staff ratios, after-school programs, the elderly as caregivers, staff considerations, health and safety, and the physical environment. The single paper in Cluster IV presents an analysis of the day care market and the factors which lead families to choose specific types of services. This paper also discusses the role of the federal government in the day care market and federal policies affecting supply and demand. (BD)