This manual outlines the operation of a 4-C program designed to provide child care services for all children requiring such services by providing financial assistance to parents unable to afford child care fees. Fees are paid directly to child care centers and may cover total care or make up the difference between the parent's ability to pay and the fee required by the center. The program is based on the premise that public funding should not be used to operate centers, but rather to enable parents to purchase her/his own child care and that this arrangement is both preferable to parents and less expensive to the state. Chapter I discusses the parent, center, and community systems that are part of the 4-C program. Chapter II, the bulk of the paper, outlines the activities needed for each (parent, center, community) system. Chapter III discusses the roles of 4-C staff in arranging for these activities. Chapter IV outlines the structure of the 4-C organization, and discusses its relation to government agencies. (SB)