Young, minority, and poorly educated fathers in fragile families have little capacity to support their children financially and are hard-pressed to maintain stability in raising those children. In this article, Robert Lerman examines the capabilities and contributions of unwed fathers, how their capabilities and contributions fall short of those…

Reviews programs for increasing earnings of parents with low market skills to prevent pretransfer poverty and discusses three types of income supplementation (public cash transfers, private child support payments, and tax credits) and how successful they are in reducing poverty. Also provides international comparisons of policies to reduce child…

Two financing plans are proposed to address needs for an allowance for poor households to fund child-care: financing from redirected existing funds; and a program of voluntary parental leave to ensure the adequacy of infant care, financed through a payroll tax increase. These proposals would help parents balance work and family obligations. (SLD)

L. Goldberg, T. W. Schultz, and M. Piel comment on proposed funding strategies for an allowance for child care for poor families, the creation of a parental leave policy to ensure infant care, and a plan to link public schooling and child care. The commentaries suggest proposal refinements or alternatives. (SLD)

The authors of proposals for a child care allowance for poor families, a parental leave program to ensure infant care, and a linkage of child care and public education systems respond to comments by three reviewers. The commentaries illustrate the diversity of perspectives on child care and the public sector. (SLD)