The U.S. child-care system is a patchwork of parents' contributions, various types of employer assistance, government subsidies, and, increasingly, the public schools. (For a detailed discussion of child care see the Foundation program paper Early Childhood Programs: A National Challenge.)

Although precise statistics are not available, there is general agreement that the supply of affordable, quality child care in no way meets the needs of families today. As a result, many working parents must devise ad hoc child-care arrangements, which, not surprisingly, break down frequently. A recent survey commissioned by Fortune showed that parents do lose time from work to attend to family matters, whether it be a sick child or school event. One major finding of the survey was that "problems with child care are the most significant predictors of absenteeism and unproductive time at work."

Availability of child care can also make the critical difference as to whether a woman can go to work at all. A 1982 study by Martin O'Connell and Carolyn C. Rogers found that one-quarter of the mothers at home said they would look for work if child care were available, with the numbers being even higher among single and low-income mothers. The current direction of welfare reform illustrates a growing recognition that child care is a necessary support for women seeking employment.

The Foundation's work and family initiative will focus on two areas,