THE SUNDAY PROFILE : A Step Up in Life : Alice Walker-Duff firmly believes that money spent on child care pays off. But can she convince America?

On the dilemmas of modern motherhood: "I'm really thankful that I didn't have the pressures that some mothers have now. I wasn't torn between staying home and taking care of my children versus this 'wonderful career' that I could have. So I didn't have that tension. I got to do things, like breast-feed my kids for a long time. Watch them grow."

On the link between food and child care: "People who are making policy don't understand the importance of good nutrition. Because they say, 'Well, I grew up with hot dogs and potato chips. . . .' But what they don't realize is that they didn't grow up in child care for nine hours a day and that wasn't 80% of the meals they ate every day. . . . That has very serious consequences for the health and development for our children."

On partnering in business with friend Karen Hill-Scott: "She's a ball of energy. Fast-talking, fast-walking. She really is an unbelievable person, so working with her has been rewarding--creating something in a partnership. And we are definitely doing good work. We'd worked together so long, so we knew how to respond to one another. She has an unbelievable capacity to do things and is extremely generous. And I am the traditional achiever--I always do well in school--so I didn't want to let her down."