He brought his baby daughter Olivia, 10 months, to a Saturday review session in March because his wife, a physician, was working and they had no other child care arrangements.

Davis says he has more of the child care responsibility than his wife. During the week, Davis and a colleague in the economics department share a babysitter.

Child Care

Universally, female faculty members say their biggest challenge is finding quality, affordable day care.

"It's difficult to patch solutions together," says Friend, who has had her two children in home day care and University day care, as well as live-in-help.

"It's very difficult to find someone who would be your ideal provider and expect them to stay with you for any length of time," she says. "If they're a bright person and have initiative, which is the kind of person you'd ideally like to have taking care of your children, it means they have other aspirations."

Mandryk, Greene and Skocpol have all had their children in one of theUniversity's six child care centers.

"It was extraordinarily good day care. Therewere two teachers who had each worked with infantsfor 13 years. Michael was in a classroom with fiveother infants," Skocpol says. "He flourished."

"Since Michael was four months old, he hasunderstood that on Monday mornings we all gosomeplace," she adds.

But Skocpol cautions that institutional daycare might not always be a positive option.

"It depends on the child," she says. "If hegets sick a lot or is shy, it might not work."

A career in academics sometimes makeconventional child care not feasible, according toJoseph J. McCarthy, assistant dean for academicplanning.

"The need for child care in this constituencyis considerable because it doesn't have isconsiderable because it doesn't have to do withthe typical nine-to-five," McCarthy say. "Thesepeople have various colloquia seminars andmeetings they need to attend at different hours.Laboratory experiments don't follow regular hourseither."

"Their jobs are boundless in many ways," agreesMary G. Opperman, director of employee services."They aren't working nine-to-five. It's exactlythat which makes all the services available in thecommunity not particularly helpful."

"If you have a 7:30 a.m. lab, where are yougoing to find a day care center?" she says. "Ifyou have a course at 2:30 and your kid's got arecital, you can't take a half day off."

At the University of Colorado, Greene alsostays home half days three days a week. And Friendreports often bringing Ayse and Kurt to work withher.