Child abandonment facts for kids

Child abandonment is when a parent leaves their child without care. This can happen for different reasons, like when parents face poverty or have serious health problems that make it hard to care for a child. In many places around the world, if children are abandoned, they might become orphans and live in an orphanage. They usually stay there until they are old enough to live on their own, often around 18 years old.

What are Safe Haven Laws?

In some countries, like the United States, there are special rules called "Safe Haven Laws." These laws allow parents to safely leave their newborn babies at certain places without getting into trouble. The main goal of these laws is to make sure babies are not left in unsafe places or harmed.

How Safe Haven Laws Work

Under these laws, parents can bring their baby to a safe place, like a hospital, fire station, or police station. Even though leaving a baby is still seen as abandonment, if the baby is unharmed, the parents will not face criminal charges. Instead, the baby is taken care of by child protection workers. These workers then find a safe home for the baby and help them get adopted by a new family.

Images for kids

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  A modern Baby box or Baby hatch in the Czech Republic where a baby can be anonymously abandoned while ensuring that the child will be cared for.

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  An illustration by Walter Crane from the fairy tale Princess Belle-Etoile, showing children picked up at sea.

See also

In Spanish: Abandono infantil para niños