Occasional Paper.

America's Families about primary child care arrangements for children under age 13 years while the adults most responsible for them are employed. It compared arrangements made by lower- versus higher-income parents and single-versus two-parent families and examines differences across selected states in 1999 and changes between 1997 and 1999 for the nation overall. Results found significant differences by family type. Preschool children with single parents, regardless of income, were more likely than their two-parent counterparts to use center-based care. School-age children with single parents were more likely to use before- and after-school programs than children with two parents. Within each of group, higher-income families used group-based programs more than lower-income families. Between 1997 and 1999, center-based care declined for preschool children as the use of relative