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A journal done by THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM research Institute of Work, Health & Organizations wrote that Although research suggests that significant progress has been made in some nations with high newborn abandoning rates, much more needs to be done to address child abandonment and create efficient, evidence-based prevention programs. Both a national and local, community level of change are required. Government agencies must support these initiatives and seek to prevent child abandonment rather than concentrating on how to respond to abandoned children once they have occurred. In fact, research included in this review has shown how investing in early intervention programs would benefit the government financially. (6)

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Reasons why parents would abandon their children.

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Reasons why parents would abandon their children.

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A parent, guardian, or other adult in charge of a child who completely deserts them without taking into account their welfare, safety, or physical health is said to have abandoned them. When the parents fail to give the child living under their roof the necessary care, this also constitutes child abandonment. While child abandonment usually refers to physical abandonment, such as leaving a child at a stranger's doorstep when no one is home, it can also refer to extreme emotional abandonment and child neglect, such as when a "workaholic" parent provides little to no physical contact or emotional support over extended periods of time. (3)

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According to research done at the CPTSD Foundation by Shirley Davis, long-term mental health illnesses may be more common among those who have been abandoned, typically as a result of the worry that it will happen again in their adult relationships. The absence of emotional and other care from parents during infancy can often be linked to mood swings and aggression problems later in life. (1)

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In 2015, the United States government spent over $9 billion to support 427,910 children who were in foster care. Most of the treatment in these cases is after the fact. The foster care system underinvests in foster children, contributing less than 50% of what it costs an average American family to raise a child from 0 – 17 years of age.  In order for there to be real change, the root of the problem should be identified.

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(1) Davis, Shirley, and Shirley Davis. The Long-Term Effects of Abandonment | CPTSDfoundation.org. 25 Feb. 2021, cptsdfoundation.org/2021/02/25/the-long-term-effects-of-abandonment.
(2) “---.” Neurobiology, neuro.hms.harvard.edu/centers-and-initiatives/harvard-mahoney-neuroscience-institute/about-hmni/archive-brain-4.
(3) ---. “Reasons Why Parents Would Abandon Their Children. How to Combat This.” OrphanCare, 22 Oct. 2021, orphancare.org.my/reasons-why-parents-would-abandon-their-babies-how-to-combat-this.
(4) Grande, Reyna. A Dream Called Home: A Memoir. Reprint, Washington Square Press, 2019.
(5) Knispel, Sandra. “American Child Welfare System Has Lost Its Way, Says Rochester Historian.” News Center, 12 Sept. 2022, www.rochester.edu/newscenter/american-child-welfare-system-has-lost-its-way-says-rochester-historian-464292.
(6) “Child Abandonment and Its Prevention in Europe.” Institute of Work, Health & Organisations, Jan. 2012, shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/28149.
(7) Child Welfare Information Gateway. “Foster care statistics 2015”. Washington, DC: Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau.

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This source details the author's journey throughout her life and how she was abandoned by her parents. She goes over her and her sister's struggle with this and the long-lasting effects it had put on them. She also goes over how despite this she was able to overcome the adversity that she had faced in her life. (4)

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The ways to prevent and help

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"Bad Parenting"

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Although in troubling times some parents are forced to leave their children, this should always be the last resort because abandonment from one's parents causes mental strain on the children involved with lasting effects up through adulthood.

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Reyna and Betty's Experience

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Some countries might have bad social welfare systems which might fail families from helping families. This causes people who are not financially able to take care of their children more likely to abandon their children due to the lack of resources or be taken away from them as most reports of child abuse or neglect are about poverty. In doing so they are sent to foster homes which might further impede on their mental well-being.  (5)

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Psychological Effects on Children

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Research at the Harvard Neurobiology Institute highlights the harm that abandoning has on children. According to Nelson, the fundamental structure of the brain is genetically predetermined before birth, and individual experiences after birth determine how our brain circuitry develops. Nelson, a developmental cognitive neuroscientist with appointments at three Harvard institutions, thinks that social interaction plays a very, very essential role in how the brain develops. "Because they are left alone, it is what these (institutionalized) children lack. They lack interpersonal communication skills. (2)