Data were collected over a 15-year span from three comparable cohorts of students at a Midwestern university about their childcare histories and current attitudes towards non-parental childcare and maternal employment. Across cohorts, a history of non-parental childcare predicted adult attitudes towards non-parental childcare and maternal employment. Compared to participants who did not experience early non-parental care, participants who reported experiencing early non-parental care had more favourable attitudes towards non-parental care and towards maternal employment and were more open to placing their future children in non-parental care. More time spent in non-parental care predicted more favourable attitudes towards it. Females reported significantly more positive attitudes towards non-parental care than did males. (author abstract)