The Facts

• According to The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, child neglect is the failure to care for a child despite being able to do so. The organization describes abandonment as a form of neglect.
  
  

Significance

• Child neglect and abandonment can lead to serious emotional and physical conditions that can hinder the child's growth and development. These conditions include dehydration, malnutrition and depression.
  
  

Signs

• The most common signs of child abandonment and neglect are bad hygiene, constant hunger and injuries that are untreated.
  
  

Prevention and Solution

• Severe child abandonment and neglect can be prevented by reporting it to the authorities as soon as a problem is suspected. In many states, childcare providers, teachers and school counselors are required to report any suspected cases of abuse.
  
  

Misconceptions

• Not all abandoned and neglected children come from poor families and not all are physically abused. Some cases involve a parent that is too sick mentally or physically to properly care for the child.