CARING FOR CHILDREN IN LOW-INCOME FAMILI (Urban Institute Report, 93-2)

Using data from the National Child Care Survey 1990 and its low-income supplement, this report examines the care arrangements of children under age 13 in families with annual incomes below $15,000. The study represents over 6 million low-income households with children under age 13 and the 12 million children under age 13 in these families. Three fundamental issues are explored: 1) how low-income children are regularly cared for; 2) how much low-income families spend on child care; and 3) the preferences of low-income parents in caring for their children.