A study of child care needs in local areas, particularly low-income communities and those with large numbers of ethnic minority families, using 1994-2003 longitudinal data for Florida, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Three key questions addressed are: (1) What does child care look like today?; (2) How do variations in child care and child care policy affect children?; and (3) How do variations affect parents? The study examines variation in availability, quality, and price of care for different age groups.