“…On the other hand, there is some psychological reason on maternal deprivation, that adults other than the mother, can offer a satisfying relationship with a child, and that the absence of one parent does not necessarily have adverse consequences (Rutter, 1981). Others have observed that there are no studies examining whether infants or toddlers do better if in the custody of a mother than of a father, and that increasingly, courts are open to either parent's being awarded custody, provided he, or she, can indicate the ability to offer a nurturant and developmentally facilitating environment (Waters and Dimock, 1983).…”