To advance knowledge and understanding about the dynamic use of child care subsidies, this study used data from five states (Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon and Texas) to address the following questions about child care subsidy use and cross state variation: What are the characteristics of children and families who receive subsidies? How continuous is subsidy receipt; i.e., how long do spells of subsidy receipt last? What is the duration of subsidy use; i.e., how likely is it that children who end a spell of subsidy receipt subsequently begin another? How stable are children's care arrangements while they are in the subsidy system?