This project is funded by a Child Care Research Scholars grant and consists of the first author's dissertation work. Although research and theory suggest that strong parent-child care provider partnerships are important for their potential to promote successful child outcomes and aid parents in balancing work and family life, little is known about how parents and providers understand or create partnerships. This study used a qualitative approach to address this gap in the literature by examining the relationships that parents and center-based child care providers form and how these relationships can provide parents with support in their efforts to maintain stable employment and navigate the child care subsidy system. Participant observations and in-depth interviews were conducted during a year of field work at two privately owned child care centers. A strategically selected sample allowed for comparisons between the experiences of working-class/poor parents and middle-class parents. Research questions include: (1) How do parents and center-based child care providers understand and create parent-provider partnerships? Specifically, what strategies do they employ to create partnerships and what barriers do they encounter?; and (2) How do parent-provider partnerships help low-income parents maintain stable employment and navigate the subsidy system?