Field studies conducted in six communities as part of the first phase of a national survey of day care had two purposes: to develop informed, current pictures of the state of day care in representative American communities and to provide the basis for final selection of variables for emphasis in the national survey. The community studies focused on the local level delivery of federal day care programs, the availability of proprietary day care services, the participation of social and voluntary organizations, welfare-oriented services, and local economic and labor market conditions as they are related to day care. The centers were located in San Francisco, Des Moines, Greenwood (South Carolina), Milwaukee, Houston, and Sagadahoc County, Maine. They were selected on the criteria of region, community size, types of industry and female employment, and socio-economic and racial character of the population. The studies confirmed that private baby-sitting is still the most common form of day care, that what little formal day care does exist is unorganized, that care for infants and school-age children is almost non-existent, that mothers need services not available. Other findings dealt with organization, financing, supply, quality, licensing of services, and employer and community attitudes. (LH)