The induction year has been included in preschool teacher preparation to support novice teachers professional growth in Estonia since 2005. The research in this field has concentrated on the experiences of and outcomes of the induction year for novice teachers, the results have been used to develop the teacher education as well as the induction year. The present paper focuses on the practices in the mentoring process and the trust between novice teachers and their mentors as vital aspects in supporting professional growth. Altogether 19 young teachers and their mentors completed the questionnaires twice ? at the beginning and at the end of the induction year. Additional interviews were conducted with 15 teacher-mentor pairs. The participants stressed confidentiality, open communication, and frequent contacts as the main bases of trust. The level of trust appeared generally high; some changes were reported during the induction year. Novice teachers and mentors generally agreed on the frequencies of different practices in their relationship with one exception ? mentees reported less frequent sharing of mentors own experiences than the mentors did. The sharing of materials, talking about the mentees achievements, and analysing the mentees teaching methods were the most frequent practices. The results help to improve the induction year program and the training of mentors.

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