My wife was one of these kids. She knew then (and I know now) how and why she tried desperately to get into a state program and away from her drug addict parent

My wife was one of these kids. She knew then (and I know now) how and why she tried desperately to get into a state program and away from her drug addict parents. Living in the desert, in a broken trailer, 2 adults and 2 children, only a water tank (reuse that bath water), miles of flat hard (or wet slick) brown dirt in 120 degree heat in every direction. No money, no radio, sometimes TV rabbit ears. Begging for food from grocery store clerks as her parents bought beer and toilet paper inside, drugs outside. She grew up thinking they were derelict because of the drugs. As they got older and had to quit the drugs or die, she found they were just unfit people. Lots of people in the world are unfit to care for the children, but the children often persevere and society absorbs the damaged alongside the deaths. This colors my views of the world, as much as anything I experienced.