Children in institutions and in the community are increasingly at risk of impoverishment and neglect. The near exclusive reliance on institutional care for children who require support contributes to the disabilities of children. Research in child development and the experience of other countries around the world has demonstrated that children experience developmental delays and potentially irreversible psychological damage by growing up in a congregate environment. Consequently, institutionalization precludes the kind of individual attachments that every child needs. In Russia, the MDRI team observed many caring staff doing everything they could to spread their attention to meet the needs of all the children under their care.
Resources are inadequate to meet the needs of all children.
The situation is particularly serious for children with disabilities who need the most care. Overworked staff are not able to meet their needs. Many children are left to spend long hours, days, or years in a crib without the attention or stimulation needed to grow and develop. The damage caused in their early years will likely stay with them forever. These children are effectively denied the opportunity to lead the full life of which they are capable.