Excerpts from the report: Over the past several years, federal funding for child care assistance has declined, and many states have taken steps backward in their child care policies. These cuts have strained an already-fragile child care system. To gain a fuller understanding of how the cuts have compounded existing challenges for child care, it is essential to examine not just the specific cuts that have been made but how these cuts have affected low-income families who cannot afford child care without help, the child care providers trying to serve these families, and the children who need high-quality care. This requires moving beyond the basic funding numbers, policy data, and the analysis of policy makers, to seek out the voices of the parents and providers themselves. This report aims to give an opportunity for those directly affected by federal and state child care cuts to have their stories heard. The National Women's Law Center conducted approximately 200 in-depth interviews with parents, child care providers, and state child care experts across the country from the spring through the fall of 2004.