The demand for child care services in the United States continues to grow, stretching the levels of program quality to the limit. In fact, the country is facing a crisis in child care. Affordable child care continues to be a major issue for many families. Solutions to the current crisis in child care must, in addition to insuring affordability, assure (1) the quality of programs; (2) adequate compensation for teachers; and (3) availability to all families. Many families are unable to afford the cost of child care; subsidies to these families would allow them access to quality programs. To fight the problem of high turnover rate among child care workers, substantial increases in wages and benefits are necessary. Licensing of early childhood programs is another important issue, and parents need to work with states to monitor program quality without hindering availability. An integrated approach to dealing with the day care crisis is essential; there can be no trade-offs between quality and affordability. (SKC)