Parents in California encounter a complex landscape of early care and education (ECE) options for their young children (King et al., 2019). Not only must they seek out opportunities that fit their budget and their schedule, but they also strive to find a safe, loving environment in which their children will grow and learn. For some families, parental care is the solution; however, we find that most families prefer and need to use one or more forms of child care on a regular basis. Likewise, no single care arrangement will be suitable for all families. As such, many Californians use multiple arrangements for their children under age six. Family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) care is a key piece of the intricate puzzle of child care in the United States (National Women's Law Center, 2016, 2018). FFN and nanny caregivers provide care that is a critical component of early care and education, particularly for families with nontraditional work hours or that live in rural areas (DiMatteo, 2019; Schilder et al., 2022). Similar to the licensed workforce in child care centers and family child care (FCC) programs, FFN and nanny caregivers are disproportionately women of color, low income, immigrant or refugee, and speakers of languages like Spanish, when compared to the statewide population (National Survey of Early Care and Education Project Team, 2016; Park & Flores Peña, 2021). They face significant challenges, including low pay and a lack of clarity regarding regulations. In California, some caregivers receive payments through state programs such as CalWORKS and the Alternative Payment Program (APP), while others are paid directly by parents, work in exchange for nonmonetary goods or services, or receive no form of payment. Subsidy programs like APP are typically oversubscribed and cannot cover all eligible families. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) estimates there are more than 4.5 million FFN caregivers in the United States, most of whom are related to the children in their care. The study further estimates that 24.6 percent of children birth to age five are cared for by a relative (Corcoran & Steinley, 2019). Our study finds a consistent proportion of families in California use relative care: approximately 24.9 percent of parents. This report is the first in a series that will highlight the experience of FFN and nanny caregivers and the families they support. The purpose of this report is to highlight parental ECE choices--both current and ideal--and the role of family, friends, neighbors, and nannies in child care arrangements. Subsequent briefs will present data on the characteristics of the caregivers themselves, including their typical arrangements, compensation, well-being, and support.