This paper examines changes in family day care over the past 25 years, with a focus on family day care in California. Strengths of family day care have included the feeling of intimacy, responsivity, and being part of a family; authenticity in materials and activities; the noninstitutional atmosphere; and reliance on working with parents. Family day care has provided a much needed service and is now recognized as a developmental service for children and families. The National Association for Family Child Care has become a national presence which keeps family child care issues and concerns on the national legislative agenda and which has developed an accreditation process and program. The increased professionalization of family day care has resulted in fees more representative of the real cost of care. However, recent California legislation increases the risk of landlords refusing to rent to potential family day care providers, and new federal welfare legislation threatens government supports to family day care, such as nutritional subsidies. There is also a worrisome trend toward larger family child care homes. Since the 1970s, family child care has been the focus of much research, some of which has been used as a deciding factor in funding. Researchers examining family child care should have some affinity, understanding, and authentic knowledge of family child care rather than approaching research from a center child-care perspective. A research summit could be used to discuss family child care issues and concerns. (KDFB)