When the Model Work Standards were first crafted more than two decades ago, they were built on the premise that quality child care jobs are the cornerstone of high-quality services for children and families. The intent of these standards is to make it possible for those who choose family child care as a career to reasonably and responsibly support themselves and their families without having to hold second jobs, be dependent on another wage earner, or rely on other income supports. It is also the intent that family child care providers feel pride in their career choice, rather than the need to defend it to others or question it themselves. In short, these standards are about rights, raises, and respect for family child care providers. The Model Work Standards are divided into five categories: (1) Model Contract and Program Policies; (2) Professional Development; (3) Family Child Care Work Environment; (4) Provider as Employer; and (5) Community Support for Promoting Careers in Family Child Care. The Model Work Standards are intended to be used: (1) by family child care providers as a vehicle for immediately beginning to improve their work environment and job conditions; (2) in local communities, where representatives of family child care programs and support agencies can identify cooperative ventures to improve the child care infrastructure; and (3) with policymakers and funders to raise awareness about the amount of resources that will be necessary to make lasting, comprehensive improvements in the nation's child care system. [This report is co-released by the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment and the American Federation of Teachers Educational Foundation.]