Informal childcare has a significant impact on the economic and social conditions of low-income families. However, as opposed to formal childcare, there is a lack of studies about relative care and its impact on working mothers. This study used the extended ethnographic comparative case method and analytical induction methodology to analyze in-depth interviews of 18 American females selected by purposive and convenient sampling: nine low-income working mothers living in a rural Midwestern area and another nine relatives who provided childcare. (author abstract)