The research evaluates the experience of hospitalization in a public health institution, from the perspective of 48 preschool children and their caregiver. It emphasizes the identification of the main crises arising from the hospitalization process, its impact on the emotions of the child and the strategies used by the caregiver to promote their adaptation to the hospital environment. It is a research with a quantitative approach, descriptive-analytical type. Two elaborated instruments (for the caregiver and one for the preschool) were elaborated and tested through piloting, Cronbach's alpha of .85 and .70 respectively. The age of 72.9% of the children studied was from 4 to 6 years, while from 2 to 3 years, 27.1%, girls represent 43.8% compared to 56.3% of boys. The mother was the carer of the children studied in 87.5%, 50% of the children had a history of between 1 to 5 previous hospitalizations. The most relevant moments of crisis are: the moment of separation of the relative with 75% and the moment of administration of the medication with 70.8%; The main emotion experienced by children is a mixture of anger-sadness-fear according to 70.8% of caregivers. According to the preschoolers studied, the intensity of "much fear" that injections, phlebotomies, bleeding wounds and being alone apply. The main recommendation of the caregivers to favor the adaptation of the preschool, includes tolerance and confidence for health personnel, and to enable play areas decorated with children's motives.