The Risk of Harm to Young Children in Institutional Care – Young children are frequently placed in institutional care throughout the world. This occurs despite wide recognition that institutional care is associated with negative consequences for children’s development (Carter, 2005; Johnson, Browne and Hamilton-Giachritsis, 2006). For example, young children in institutional care are more likely to suffer from poor health, physical underdevelopment and deterioration in brain growth, developmental delay and emotional attachment disorders. Consequently, these children have reduced intellectual, social and behavioural abilities compared with those growing up in a family home.