25 years later: The Bucharest Project reveals why love matters 

But what if love shapes children at an even deeper level? What if love literally rewires their biology?   

Twenty-five years after the groundbreaking Bucharest Early Intervention Project, the evidence is undeniable: love doesn’t just nurture children’s hearts and minds. It transforms their developing brains and their capacity to thrive throughout life.   

The childcare crisis that created a study on love 

To understand this breakthrough, we have to remember Romania in the 1970s and 80s, where communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu created a child welfare nightmare. 

His regime implemented aggressive and invasive pronatalist policies intended to rapidly grow Romania’s population, while simultaneously establishing economic policies that devastated family’s financial stability. 

The result was catastrophic: families couldn’t afford to care for their children.  

Hundreds of thousands of children were abandoned to state-run institutional care. These orphanages—deeply underfunded due to government cuts—were woefully unprepared for the influx of children.  

And when Ceaușescu was overthrown in 1989, the world was horrified to discover the true conditions of these institutions. 

Images surfaced of rows upon rows of children silently sitting in beds, malnourished and blank-eyed. Reports revealed chronic, systemic neglect. Children were deprived of sensory stimulation, adequate nutrition, medical care, human touch and—critically—loving relationships.  

The Bucharest Early Intervention Project: A scientific approach to understanding love’s impact 

In January 1999, the Romanian government invited an international team of researchers to conduct what would become one of the most influential child development studies: The Bucharest Early Intervention Project.  

The study aimed to:  

— Examine how institutionalization affects children’s brain development and behavior.   

— Discover whether high-quality foster care (a family-like environment) could reverse the damage caused by early neglect.  

The study followed children’s development from infancy through age sixteen—half of whom were placed in high-quality, family-like foster care, while the other half remained in (significantly improved) institutional care. 

Both groups were evaluated on a regular schedule for cognitive, physical and social-emotional development as well as attachment patterns. But these researchers didn’t just use observational methods to evaluate the children—they also used advanced brain imaging to see how different care environments can literally influence young brains. 

And, since fall of 2020, the project has expanded into a 21-year longitudinal follow-up study, continuing to research the impacts of childhood environments into adulthood. 

Learn more about how childhood trauma shapes lifelong health. 

How neglect physically alters a child’s brain 

After more than 50 scientific publications, the findings are heartbreakingly clear: Children who grow up without loving bonds suffer significant deficits in brain development, cognitive function and socio-emotional growth.  

Learn more about why orphanages and institutional care aren’t the answer—and what works instead. 

A glimpse into gray and white matter 

Brain imaging revealed that children who grew up in institutions had:  

— Reduced gray matter volume: Gray matter processes information, regulates the nervous system and plays a critical role in cognition and learning. 

— Decreased white matter integrity: White matter supports learning, memory, attention and problem-solving and connects different brain regions for communication.  

These structural changes translated into ongoing difficulties including:  

— Memory problems 

— Impaired problem-solving 

— Poor decision-making skills and impulsive behavior 

— Increased risk for depression and other mental health disorders 

— Difficulty forming and maintaining healthy relationships 

Meaning: Emotional neglect and lack of loving relationships literally alter a child’s brain structure, creating a lifetime of physical and mental health challenges. 

Love as medicine: How family care rewires a child’s brain 

But this study didn’t just reveal the biological impact of growing up in institutional care. 

The Bucharest Project discovered that when children were placed in a stable, loving family environment, their brains changed, too. For the better. 

Brain imaging on children who were placed in family-like foster care showed:  

— Increased white matter volume 

— Improved neural activity 

— Better cognitive functioning 

— Enhanced social skills and ability to form attachments 

— Improved overall mental health outcomes 

The findings of these studies are a beacon of hope for all child advocates: Experiencing love from a nurturing, trusted family can rewire a child’s brain, even after severe trauma. 

Children who have experienced neglect, abuse or other Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) should not be treated as lost causes.  

They are not defined by abuse or destined to suffer from lasting mental or physical health problems. With loving relationships and therapeutic support, children can heal and build resilient, bright futures beyond their traumatic experiences.  

Learn more about the critical importance of loving relationships in children’s development.  

The science is conclusive: Love matters for children 

The Bucharest Project’s findings underscore a fundamental truth: love matters. 

Love is more than a nice-to-have feeling—research consistently shows that love is a biological necessity for children. Growing up in a safe, stable and loving home is the foundation for healthy brain development and lifelong success. 

Every child deserves to grow up safe, loved and encouraged. When you support evidence-based approaches, like SOS Children’s Villages family-based care model, you’re changing a child’s life with the power of loving relationships.  

The Bucharest Project proved that love can literally rewire a child’s brain. This holiday season, you can give the gift of love –and the promise of a brighter future—to a child in need.  

Because love matters. 

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