Again, no one knows why. McKenzie understands all of this. They need love and nurturing. When those precious advantages cannot be provided, children need, at a minimum, a safe, stable, structured, and permanent place that provides opportunities for personal growth, a chance to live down and away from the problems of their past. With all the current talk about family values, we must remember that there are families that value very little, least of all their children.
Some families are worse for children than even the worst institutions.
This was the point that Gingrich struggled to make in response to the criticism that his orphanage solution was cruel and heartless. Gwen Broude teaches developmental psychology and cognitive science at Vassar College.