As the U.S. economy continues to falter and families face ongoing wage stagnation and widening income inequalities, there is an urgent need for a better, integrated appoach to child care. This accessible, up-to-date account of the chronic issues plaguing child care reform offers viable solutions drawn from a model state child care system in North Carolina. Original data from interdisciplinary research illustrates the complex landscape of U.S. child care, as well as the ambiguious relationship society has with the sobering statisitc that 64% of women with children under 6 are employed and in need of relable, high-quality care of their young children.

The book features: the history and demographics of U.S. child care policy; analysis of several persisitent forces impeding the emergence of a national child care system; contemporary ideas about motherhood, employment, and child care for pay; an extensive review of research on child care and child development; and recommendations focusing on policy integration and workforce development.