As part of the Assessing the New Federalism project, this report investigates the different types of child care arrangements, including unsupervised "self-care" that families with working mothers use for their school-age children. The study investigated how child care patterns differ by the age of the child, family income, race and ethnicity,…

Author describes the day care shortage crisis, states the need for increased government financing, and suggests ways to achieve quality care. (Author/SP)

Asks some critical questions about the effectiveness and desirability of childminding. (Editor)

Examines data on child care from a longitudinal study of 310 mothers of preschool children. Findings indicated that most mothers change care arrangements frequently, especially substitution of group day care and multiple care for care by relatives. Discusses implications of frequent changes in day care. (NRB)

High quality day care is a pressing social need for the 1970's. Factors responsible for the strong interest in day care include pressures for welfare reform, the growing number of women in the labor force, minority pressures for equal opportunities, and research findings stressing the importance of development during the early years of a child's…

Men are taking a more active role in child care. By 1991, 20% of preschool children were cared for by their fathers while their mothers worked outside the home--an increase since 1988, when only 15 percent of preschoolers were cared for by their fathers. This report summarizes the latest findings on child care arrangements of mothers who work…

The present report describes a system for the care of children during the day in Denmark: care in private family homes. Begun in 1966, this program organized a formal system of family day care homes initiated and supervised by the government; this is an extension of the former system of licensing privately initiated family day care homes. From the…

Based on a survey of legislation relating to full-day care for preschool children of working mothers and a study of records, this report: (1) covers the number of registered child care centers in Australia and the number of children being served, (2) sets the conditions applying to registration of centers, (3) indicates the extent and levels of…

Maintains that the reasons behind child care workers' low pay are inequitable wages for women, devaluation of children, and minimization of the skill involved in working with children. (BB)

The field study reported examined the attitudes and behavior of working mothers and their neighborhood caregivers (nonrelatives). Data were obtained from interviews with 104 mother-sitter pairs, 39 of whom were friends when the arrangement began, and 65 of whom were strangers. The dynamics of mother-sitter relations prove to be dramatically…

This paper reports on a 1-year cross-cultural project designed to compare alternative modes of child care and child care programs in Sweden, Israel, and China with those in the United States. Based upon data available in documents pertaining to children, interviews with scholars involved in research on child care programs, and on-site observations…

Analysis of the labor participation of 65 mothers of infants and toddlers with disabilities found a slightly greater proportion of 1-parent families than expected, entry into the labor force at approximately the same rate as other mothers, a greater proportion of mothers engaged in part-time employment, and predominance of spouses as childcare…

This paper describes a model providing a framework through which communities can work to meet the critical shortage of adequate quality child care facilities and services in rural as well as urban areas. This CETA program model, called the Fresh Start Approach, offers skills training and supportive services to economically disadvantaged women…

Suggests that concern for "latchkey" children during World War II was hyperbolic. Examines the variety of successful solutions parents devised for child day care: (1) day care arrangements made by families themselves; (2) Lanham Act child day care centers; (3) centers operated by private industry; and (4) the very successful Extended…

The concepts, causes, and issues surrounding maternal guilt have significant implications for early childhood professionals. Child care providers can assist parents in choosing appropriate child care; promote positive communication and rapport with parents; reassure parents that maternal anxiety is normal; promote understanding of the concept of…