This article aims to discuss child care strategies developed by families, related to institutional and/or family care - the sharing of responsibilities between men and women in this care - as well as the combinations of such elements. The results show that the strategies are based on the family and women’s care-giving, leading thus to high proportions of women leaving the job market. Such leaving produces consequences with regard to women’s present and future economic autonomy. Women, as a result, individually assume the burden of care.