The third in a series of workshops on child care for low-income families (July 24, 1995) conceptualized directions for future research. The effect of child care on children's development was discussed in terms of: (1) child care as an intervention in the lives of low-income children; (2) the importance of capturing the dynamics of children's child care experiences; (3) expansion of the range of effects of child care examined in research beyond outcomes for individual children to include outcomes for families and others; and (4) development of a broader conception of child care quality that is relevant to current policy issues. Child care and economic self-sufficiency in the contexts of welfare reform and work and family issues was discussed. The child care policy environment in terms of how and by whom child care funds are allocated and how those decisions affect child care for low-income families was examined. Discussion of approaches to data collection confirmed the value of encouraging research that employs different methodologies. Contains 15 references. (AJH)