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The reference system consists in designating a professional responsible for the integration of a group of children. Its pertinence to collective nurseries is supported by attachment theory, but it has only rarely been the object of empirical research. In this study, twenty professionals from eleven French nurseries (half of which practiced the reference system), as well as twenty mothers, were questioned on the stakes of this practice for the children, parents and professionals. According to the participants, the presence of a “referee” allows the creation of a secure relationship with the child but may also generate some insecurity in the absence of this professional. The intensity of this attachment is called into question by participants since it explains this drawback, while attachment theorists accord a more central importance to the quality of the connection. This observation suggests a lack of theoretical training on the part of professionals who find themselves grappling with affective experiences which they struggle to understand and contain.