The healthiest environment for a child to grow is an environment where both the dad and mum are present in the life of the child. The absence of any of these two important personalities in the upbringing of the child would affect the child greatly all through their life time.
Most grown up adults are yet to fill up the vacuum created in their hearts by the absence of their mum and dad while growing. Every child needs a father and a mother figure in their life. These two figures would help create the balance in shaping the child's view about life. Should any of these personalities be absent in the growing up of a child, a vacuum is created that can't be filled by anything else
So every child needs a father and mother figure in his ,or her life