This article summarizes the research on the developmental outcomes of postinstitutionalizedchildren and discusses the implications for social policy. Postinstitutionalized children often reachtheir adoptive families with varying degrees of physical growth retardation, cognitive delays, andsocioemotional problems. Many children demonstrate remarkable recovery following adoption.Unfortunately, some of the children continue to display significant problems that requireprofessional intervention. It appears that the children's recovery may be influenced by theirearly experiences with their birth family and in institutional care, and there is suggestive evidencethat postadoption experiences also play a role. These findings indicate that preadoption andpostadoption services may support the outcome of postinstitutionalized children.