Early Intervention Is Key

U.S. researchers headed to Romania to answer an important question: do orphanages hinder the cognitive development of young children? Their answer was a resounding “yes.”

The study, featured in an Associated Press story, concluded that toddlers placed in quality foster homes scored much higher on IQ tests years later than those left in institutions. Children removed from the orphanages before age 2 benefited the most.

For example, children in foster care at age 4 1/2 scored almost 10 points higher than children who stayed in orphanages. If the children left the orphanages before age 2, there was an almost 15-point increase in IQ scores. Children raised with their biological parents still did best, with average IQ scores 10-20 points higher than the children in foster care.

“The interesting part about this is the one-on-one caring of a young child impacts … cognitive and intellectual development,” a UNICEF child protection specialist remarked. For some of the children, the difference came down to having borderline retardation or average intelligence.

The study had a profound impact on Romania, which had no foster care system in 2000 when the research began. Now, it is illegal to instutionalize children under age 2 unless they have serious disabilities.

For us, this research reinforces our belief that early intervention is key. The sooner an abused or neglected child gets into a good foster home, the better off they’ll be in the long run. We must not be too hasty in removing children from their homes. But in the case of clear and serious abuse, change needs to happen early and quickly – not only for the child’s safety but for his or her future development. What are your thoughts?