Substitute family care for orphaned children and children left without parental care is accompanied by cases of its disruption, the number of which increases with the intensity of placement of children in families. Studies of the causes of disruption were conducted in Russia and abroad, and their numerous results require an analytical review. The objective of the current work is to analyze results of psychological studies on disruption of substitute care. The review reveals that the research is focused mostly on characteristics of foster children and substitute families that increase the risk of the refusal to continue substituted upbringing, as well as on the specifics of the relations between a foster child and their relatives. The discussion emphasizes that the disruption of substitute care is a complex phenomenon associated with characteristics of children and their substitute parents, as well as with the influence of child’s relatives on the substitute family. The conclusion highlights the need to improve the quality of training of substitute parents and to implement the evidence-based intervention programs for children and parents in substitute families.