Although there is consensus among researchers about the complexity of the period of adaptation to daycare center, inconsistencies still exist about the most adequate moment for the child's entry into daycare center, about the concept of adaptation and how to assess this period. This study examined the way teachers in public and private daycare center characterized the adaptation of babies 4-5 months of age and babies 8-9 months of age. Fourty-one teachers answered a questionnaire which examined the way the adaptation process was carried out, its duration, cases where babies retroceded after being adapted and the factors which interfered in the adaptation. Content analysis revealed some differences between the conceptions of adaptation in each age group. Teachers believe that the adaptation of babies of 8-9 months requires greater preparation and care, being considered, in some cases, a more critical process than the adaptation of the other age group. There were also differences among the mentioned indicators between the two age groups.
daycare center; adjustment; infants
