ABANDONMENT (OF A CHILD)

Concerns the failure of a parent to communicate or provide necessary financial assistance to his or her child over an extended time period. After this period of no contact or support, a court may deem the child abandoned by the parent and enter an order stating that the abandoning parent’s parental rights are terminated. Abandonment may also be used to describe situations where a child is physically abandoned, by way of example, left at the hospital or left alone on someone’s front steps or porch. These physically abandoned children may be placed in foster care or orphanages and made available for adoption.