Do you have evidence that the foster care system was less fucked up when religious institutions were stronger? Or alternatively could you point to studies comparing religious foster care vs nonreligious foster care?
Genuinely asking, because it never struck me that the foster care system was ever not horrible in America.
Also good to keep in mind that as bad as things are in the US, things are much worse elsewhere. For example the massive orphanages in the old soviet countries where children are confined to little cribs all day, or in India where many orphans roam the streets.
Not religious, but a friend of mine was in an award winning state orphanage in the 1930s. (I haven't heard,but i suppose he is dead now) They would beat kids with a wire chineny brush if they slept with their heads in the pillow, which is how they won those awards for how neat the beds were.
There isn't a good answer to the problem of kids when the parents don't care for them.
Genuinely asking, because it never struck me that the foster care system was ever not horrible in America.