| Abstract: | With implications for senior care as well as child care, this article compares for‐profit and nonprofit dependent‐care facilities in areas of service that are not readily visible to consumers. Findings gleaned from the child‐care industry indicate that nonprofit facilities provide a higher quality of service on professionally identified variables than do their for‐profit counterparts. For‐profit directors were more likely to implement cost efficiencies that were not immediately apparent to clients. Despite this, significantly more of the for‐profits were displeased with their financial situation than were their nonprofit counterparts. The study suggests that professional background and training of directors exercises an influence on management satisfaction and decisions, independent of sector. |
