Alternatives for abandoned children: insights from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project

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Updated: Feb 24, 2026

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Charles H Zeanah1, Kathryn L Humphreys2, Nathan A Fox3

  • 1Tulane University School of Medicine, USA.

Current Opinion in Psychology
|August 17, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Foster care improves child development compared to institutionalization. Early, high-quality, and stable foster placements yield the best outcomes for orphaned children, though some institutional effects may persist.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Institutional care for orphaned children can negatively impact development.
  • Randomized controlled trials are crucial for evaluating interventions for vulnerable populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of foster care as an alternative to institutional care for orphaned and abandoned children.
  • To determine the impact of placement timing, quality, and stability on child development.

Main Methods:

  • The Bucharest Early Intervention Project utilized a randomized controlled trial design.
  • Compared developmental outcomes of children in foster care versus institutional care.
  • Assessed various domains of brain and behavioral development.

Main Results:

  • Children in foster care showed more favorable development than those in institutions.
  • Foster care partially remediated institutionalization-related developmental compromises.
  • Earlier and higher-quality foster care placements resulted in greater developmental gains.

Conclusions:

  • Foster care offers significant developmental benefits for orphaned children.
  • Early intervention and quality of care are critical factors in improving outcomes.
  • Findings have implications for child welfare policy and practice.

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