Thank you for the detailed reply.

I would agree, anecdotally, from my time in social work. Kids that missed meals, kids that had parents not paying attention to them or not interacting at the end of the day (often because they're still at work, single parenting is hell), all little tiny factors that build up over years until you're not a few weeks behind, you're years behind your peers.

I've seen firsthand what happens to kids with decent brains when they're not utilized and raised in an anti-intellectual household. Lots of wasted potential, and unfortunately, they become a very easy-to-influence group.