ABSTRACT
The concept of maternal deprivation placed emphasis on the risks associated with institutional care, but it is clear from comparative studies that the main risks probably stem from rearing in institutions that involve gross global deprivation as well as a lack of individualized care. J. Tizard, I. Sinclair, and R. V. G. Clark studied a range of different institutions catering for young people and drew attention to the importance of the distinction between child-oriented rearing practices and task-oriented rearing practices. Child-oriented rearing focused attention on trying to individualize the care of children according to their age and needs. The Romanian study concerned the long-term effects of early institutional care that involved profound deprivation in a total sample of children who were adopted by the age of 3.5 years. The studies of adoption by gay fathers and lesbian mothers have been very useful in showing that the quality of the rearing environment matters more than the particular family structure.
