I am pleased that they succeeded. However research suggests that outcomes for children raised in institutions are not always positive. Insecurely attached children rebound from adversity far less effectively than securely attached children. With few exceptions, children reared in poor quality institutions fail to sit, stand, walk, and talk by age four. Close examination reveals that even good institutions harm young children, leave teens ill-prepared for the outside world, and cost over three times more than a permanent, loving family.
Institutional solutions are attractive to child welfare administrators.
Because it is an easy way out of a perplexing dilemma. For example, a county anticipates the need for 100 foster care slots for teenagers, so it decides to license 50 family foster care slots and contract 50 to a local institution. To make matters worse, when a child is in need of placement, the institutional slot is likely to be used first because the bed is already paid for. An additional danger of this approach is that these institutions become self perpetuating. Once an institution is open, it is not likely to close.