The phrase "broken homes" refers to families that have experienced major problems like divorce or separation, leading to a breakdown in the family unit. Full definition
Formal studies of children in broken homes didn't really start until the»80s when there were children of divorce to study and a fierce need for relevant data. (pjmedia.com)
Some people blame the problems in society on the number of broken homes as the result of divorce. (oureverydaylife.com)
One of the newspaper articles implied he chose boys with broken homes and obvious vulnerabilities. (religion.blogs.cnn.com)