The Adjustment of Infants and Toddlers to Group Care: The First 6 Months

This article describes the behavior of infants, toddlers, and their center caregivers at entry and after 3 and 6 months of group care. Longitudinal data revealed increased activity/interest and peer interaction, along with a dramatic decline in negative affect and adult interaction/contact during the first 3 months. Age-matched group comparisons, which provided a conservative estimate of change, revealed modest improvement in child behavior after 3 months, and a substantial improvement after 6 months of care. Recovery appeared on composite variables of activity/interest, positive affect, and negative affect as well as on individual component variables such as schema play, visual regard, immobility, exploration, positive peer interaction, negative affect, an vocalization. Lower levels of adult interaction after 3 months occurred primarily in contact, proximity, and confort behaviors; positive adult interaction was higher after 6 months of care. As hypothesized, the unhappiest babies received the most adult attention at entry and during the first 3 months. After 6 months of attendance, caregivers attended most to emotionally expressive babies, both positive and negative. Babies who showed the most positive affect at entry were likely to do so 6 months later when they were also likely to receive the highest levels of adult and peer stimulation.