An examination of factors that may influence child care practices of Mexican American families, including: community and employment factors; cultural beliefs and caregiving practices; extended family and non-kin networks; family characteristics; and child care characteristics. The study uses an integrative process-oriented model of minority children's development, and follows two cohorts of Mexican American families: a group with one-month old infants (N=80), and a group with 24-month old toddlers (N=80), for three years. This cross-sectional cohort design focuses on three issues: (1) factors associated with parental child care choices; (2) assessment of the features and quality of child care; and (3) factors associated with the effect of child care on family and child outcomes.