Sure, he treats his kids well, but that's not all there is to being a good person. He's not home enough to qualify as a decent parent. This time he even forgets one of his kid's birthdays! He won't win any Father of the Year Awards in this decade.
He treats Mary Catherine as if she were a pet dog, expecting that she will always be there at his home waiting for him, with a smile on her face, regardless of how he treats her. I was so happy when she finally leaves, and very sad when, at the end, she is basically forced to stay with him against her will.
The story was at least interesting, until you realize that there is no real resolution as in the previous Michael Bennett books, but that it is, instead, a convoluted setup for the next book, and an excuse to get the whole Bennett clan into Witness Protection. Personally, I find the idea that you can "hide" a family consisting of a single dad with 10 adopted kids of various races preposterous. They'll stick out no matter where they go.
