{"id":352011,"date":"2016-04-04T10:42:08","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:42:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/criminal\/criminal-charges\/child-abandonment.html"},"modified":"2025-05-16T14:13:44","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T19:13:44","slug":"child-abandonment","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/criminal\/criminal-charges\/child-abandonment.html","title":{"rendered":"Child Abandonment Charges"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Child Abandonment Charges<\/h1>\n
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\n By John Mascolo, Esq.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Laura Temme, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

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Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n

Child abandonment is the act of deserting a child by a parent, guardian, or other person responsible for them. It encompasses both physical abandonment, such as leaving a child in unsafe conditions, and emotional abandonment, where a parent may be physically present but fail to offer emotional support. Legal consequences for child abandonment can range from misdemeanors to felonies, depending on the severity of the neglect or harm.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Child abandonment occurs when a parent, guardian, or person in charge of a child either deserts a child or fails to provide the necessary care for the child’s well-being.<\/p>\n

Abandonment by desertion may be without any regard for the child’s physical health, safety, or welfare and with the intention of wholly abandoning the child. Abandonment by failing a duty of care usually involves some amount of child neglect.<\/p>\n

Abandoning a child typically involves desertion of a child. This may involve leaving a child at a stranger’s doorstep when no one is home. It may also occur when a parent leaves a child with a responsible adult for a long period of time and has no contact with the child. <\/p>\n

Sometimes, abandonment can materialize through an extreme case of emotional abandonment. In such a case, a parent may have limited contact but offer no emotional support to the child. This could occur from work demands or unhealthy addictions that interfere with parenting time. Unfortunately, abandoned children who do not get their needs met often grow up with low self-esteem, emotional dependency, helplessness, and other issues.<\/p>\n

A person charged with the criminal offense of child abandonment may face felony or misdemeanor penalties, including jail time and other consequences. Talk to a criminal defense attorney<\/a> about the options in your particular case.<\/p>\n

What Constitutes the Crime of Child Abandonment?<\/h2>\n

The term "child abandonment" is broadly categorized. It may describe criminal charges the state pursues in the criminal justice system. It may also implicate areas of child welfare and family law related to child custody and visitation rights.<\/p>\n

The crime of child abandonment will vary by name among the states. For example, in Ohio<\/a>, most crimes related to abandonment of a child and abuse and neglect fall under the state crimes of "nonsupport" and "endangering children<\/a>."<\/p>\n

Evidence of child abandonment may first require proof that the offender is a parent, legal guardian, or other person or family member acting in loco parentis <\/i>(in place of a parent), that has a duty of care to the child. It may then include any of the following conduct:<\/p>\n