A Statistical Portrait of Family Providers and An Analysis of Their Fees

This paper offers a description of family home providers and the care they supply for three metropolitan areas. Comparisons are made across markets and between licensed and unlicensed family providers. Among the findings are (1) unregulated family providers care for few children per establishment and offer a more adult-time intensive form of care than do licensed providers; (2) licensed family providers exhibit more commitment to the profession; (3) family providers receive no return to experience or to education, and (4) family providers offer large discounts in fees covering more than one child.