Care provision: An experimental investigation

•We develop a three--‐person experimental trust game, consisting of a care manager, a care provider, and a needy recipient, that allows us to examine the organization of work in the care sector.•Behavior in the game shows a great deal of of trust in the care provider, in a situation where the provider’s effort--‐level cannot be contracted by the manager.•Care providers exhibit considerable pay--‐it--‐forward reciprocity by devoting substantial resources to the well being of the needy recipient.•Two potential policy interventions are considered, direct subsidies and increases provider productivity, and the latter is shown to significantly impact the quality of care.