This final report of the National Day Care Study (NDCS), Volume IV-A, contains three papers that help to set a context for interpreting overall study results. "Research Issues in Day Care, A Focused Review of the Literature" focuses on effects of group care and regulatable characteristics of the day care environment. The second paper, "Case Studies of the National Day Care Study Sites: Atlanta, Detroit and Seattle," reports on the history and current practice of day care in the three NDCS sites. The third paper, "The National Day Care Study from the Perspective of Black Social Scientists: Reflections on Key Research Issues," reviews child development issues relevant to the NDCS from the perspective of black social scientists. Appendices list members of the NDCS consultant panel and present selected correspondence of the Black Task Force, the position statement of the Black Advisory Board members, and a Black Task Force memorandum concerning the NCDS preliminary report and recommendations. (Author/RH)