Hey RiseandShine,
I haven't looked much into vertex or determining the exact time of trauma..but in my experience, I have Pluto very close to the IC, and I see how my childhood had a lot of Plutonian themes.(Pluto in Sag. As a child I moved back and forth between everywhere..) I also have Saturn in the 8th house. When I was a child, my biological parents just didn't take care of me or my siblings. My aunt and uncle would take care of us and when they'd pick us up, I'd have my bag of diapers ready and I'd be standing at the door waiting, pulling on my uncles shirt like LETS LEAVE. I could tell when they were drinking. I also feel like their relationship was nasty, I don't recall ever seeing them together except for maybe very early childhood.
My biological dad just passed away about 2 years ago. He was a registered sex offender and I came to learn he had been in and out of mental hospitals for schizophrenia. (I don't honestly believe mental illness is a thing, maybe just a spiritual gift that has been shamed/repressed/feared because others say it is wrong, when it's not, I'm sure it's natural as many people experience 'mental illness') I chose not to contact my bio father (yet i received some inheritance from him, 8H) & I am the only one of my bio mom's kids (who were adopted) who chooses to speak with her. She has lung cancer, she's constantly smoking, and ultimately she lives with a lot of suffering.
Although my biological parents were irresponsible, I always felt safe and at home with my aunt and uncle. My siblings and I were adopted in 2007, and we all know this was meant to happen. My adoptive parents were never able to have kids, and they ended up with 5. They are loving and supportive parents and have always been truthful and honest with us.