ABSTRACT
A fundamental argument against group care of children, accepted even by such proponents as Trotzkey (Chap. 2), is the inevitable separation from the mother. Yet even this seemingly universal constraint is not always applicable or justified. Clearly the orphaned or abandoned child has already been separated, and the constraints on separation do not apply to him, but in a far greater number of cases subtle judgments about the nurturing qualities of the maternal relationship must be made. Seiden argues that such a review may, and in some instances should, lead to the conclusion that separation would be beneficial, and perhaps not only to the child but also to the mother.
