Deinstitutionalisation: A global effort to improve developmental outcomes for children

Abstract

The December 2023 issue of Adoption & Fostering includes an article from the English and Romanian Adoptees (ERA) study established by the late Professor Sir Michael Rutter (Rutter, 1998). The prospective longitudinal study follows a cohort of adoptees into young adulthood who experienced severe deprivation in Romanian institutions during their early life. The study published here explores the voices of a subgroup of the original participants who have become parents (Edwards, Kennedy et al., 2023). Their reaching parenthood makes us acutely aware of the passage of time. It is hard to believe that it has been over 30 years since the devastating pictures of children living under inhumane conditions in Romanian institutions were broadcast across the globe. The living conditions were filthy without sufficient food, interpersonal care or cognitive stimulation (Sonuga-Barke et al., 2017)