.Child abandonment is the abandoning of one’s child outside of legal adoption. A child who is abandoned is called a foundling. In general, child abandonment is considered a criminal offense under state laws which may differ from state to state.
Some parents in other states take their child to a safe location where they will be saved from prosecution. The main cause of child abandonment is poverty and this sometimes lead to murder, manslaughter or aggravated abuse charges.
The length of time is not only the factor that is taken into consideration when there is an involvement of child abandonment in a child custody case.
The primary function of an accusation of abandonment in a child custody case is to authorize the court to create a new custodial arrangement. Actual abandonment is a form of material change of circumstances, enough to consent the court to issue an order altering the existing custody arrangement.
The American Bar Association Section of Family Law stated that the test applied to the alleged abandonment is the intent of the departed parent.
Family Law 