This brief essay, presented in parallel English and French versions, highlights the process by which day care practice and day care research have begun to overlap. First, the development of day care research in North America is presented in a "generational" model. It is argued that a shift has occurred from general child care (residential) studies to specifically day care-based studies and that a growing commitment to relevant, community-based research has led to increasing convergence between the interests of the day care practitioner and the day care researcher. Subsequently, the results of several significant studies from these various generations are examined in somewhat more detail. Key day care studies reviewed include "Infant Care and Attachment" (Caldwell et al., 1970);"The National Day Care Center Supply Study" (Ruopp, 1974-1978); "Field Study of the Neighborhood Family Day Care System" (Johnson, 1968-1972); and "The Interpersonal Relationship between Parents and Caregivers in Day Care Settings" (Powell, 1979). In conclusion, a future direction for day care research is suggested. (RH)