A large number of studies evaluating adoption of children have been done. We know that many foreign adopted children have been (severely) neglected before they got adopted. A next relevant step is to study ways of helping these children and their adoptive parents. The adoption of severely deprived children into well-functioning families can be seen as a natural experiment. In this paper the consequences of deprivation and the possibilities for recovery in a healthy environment are reviewed by describing three waves of a longitudinal study among Romanian adoptive children. The development and behavioral problems are discussed, as are the strategies of parents and teachers in dealing with the problems. Based on the results found, recommendations for practice are made