Abandoned children reshape child welfare systems in different countries—and the signals vary by where and how cases are reported. In China, tens of thousands of abandonments were reported across 2010–2012, alongside a striking gender imbalance: 98% are girls. In the U.S., maltreatment affects young children and fuels developmental risk, while foster care numbers in FY2020 show how many children entered and exited care. The page compares patterns across countries and then connects these findings to development impacts and permanency planning.
Key Takeaways
- 24,000 children were reported as abandoned in China in 2012
- 23,000 children were reported as abandoned in China in 2011
- 21,000 children were reported as abandoned in China in 2010
- In the U.S., 45.0% of child victims of maltreatment were under age 5 in 2020
- In the U.S., 29.7% of child victims were ages 5-9 in 2020
- In the U.S., 14.6% of child victims were ages 10-14 in 2020
- In the U.S., an estimated 678,000 children were in foster care on the last day of FY2020
- In the U.S., 439,000 children entered foster care during FY2020
- In the U.S., 19,000 children were adopted during FY2020
- In UNICEF’s 2020 global estimates, there are 150 million children globally who experience violence, exploitation, abuse, or neglect in some forms
- In UNICEF’s 2020 global estimates, 1 in 7 children experience violence (physical, psychological, or sexual)
- In the U.S., maltreatment increases risk for developmental delays; 20-30% of children with maltreatment show neurocognitive deficits (meta-analytic estimate)
- In UNICEF’s “Child marriage: A life cycle of violence” (child protection context), UNICEF notes that abandonment/neglect can co-occur with extreme poverty; 10% of children live in extreme poverty (global)
- UNICEF reported that 1 in 3 children in the world are at risk of child labor (overlap with neglect/abandonment contexts)
- In the U.S., the Adoption and Safe Families Act requires permanency planning within time frames
In China, 24,000 abandoned children were reported in 2012, mostly girls, while U.S. foster care reached 678,000 in 2020.
Related reading
01 · Category
Definitions & Scope28 stats
01
24,000 children were reported as abandoned in China in 2012https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2013-06/25/content_16654005.htm
02
23,000 children were reported as abandoned in China in 2011https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-06/20/content_15512721.htm
03
21,000 children were reported as abandoned in China in 2010https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-06/21/content_12832204.htm
04
98% of abandoned children in China are girlshttps://www.guancha.cn/Policy/2016_11_21_380210.shtml
05
The U.S. experiences about 400,000 to 500,000 children in foster care each year who are likely to have been victims of child maltreatmenthttps://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/fact-sheet-foster-care
06
In the U.S., 618,000 children were victims of maltreatment in 2020 (including neglect)https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
07
In the U.S., 3.7 million children received child protective services in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
08
In the U.S., 771,000 children were reported to have experienced maltreatment in 2019https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2019.pdf
09
In the U.S., 656,000 children were victims of maltreatment in 2019https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2019.pdf
10
In England (UK), there were 74,560 “children looked after” at 31 March 2022https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/previous/v/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-31-march-2022
11
In England (UK), 63,200 children started to be looked after in 2021-22https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/previous/v/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-31-march-2022
12
In England (UK), 32,900 care leavers aged 16-24 were in England at 31 March 2022https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/previous/v/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-31-march-2022
13
In Sweden, 4,300 children were placed in residential care in 2022https://www.socialstyrelsen.se/globalassets/sharepoint-dokument/artikel-katalog/statistik/insatser-till-barn-och-unga/2023/placerade-barn-och-unga-2022.pdf
14
In France, 307,000 minors were placed in child welfare services (Aide Sociale à l’Enfance) in 2021https://drees.solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/2023-07/DocAtelier-ADSEA-2021.pdf
15
In Germany, about 46,000 children were in care placements (care arrangements) in 2022https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Society-Environment/Health/Childrens-Welfare/childrens-welfare.html
16
In India, 30.6% of institutionalized children in surveyed states were there because of abandonment/unknown familyhttps://www.unicef.org/india/media/2736/file/State-of-Children-2013.pdf
17
In Indonesia, 16% of children in institutions had parents who were unknown/abandonedhttps://www.unicef.org/indonesia/media/3576/file/Child%20Protection%20Systems%20in%20Indonesia%20-%20Assessment%20Report.pdf
18
In Guatemala, 3% of children surveyed were in residential care due to abandonmenthttps://www.unicef.org/media/79221/file/Guatemala%20Situation%20Analysis%20on%20Children%20and%20Adolescents%20with%20Disabilities.pdf
19
In Nigeria, 9% of children in surveyed child care institutions reported abandonment as the reason for entryhttps://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/nigeria-situation-analysis-children-and-adolescents-deprived-environment
20
In South Africa, 53% of children in residential care were placed there due to abuse/neglect, which includes abandonment caseshttps://www.unicef.org/southafrica/media/6461/file/Situation%20analysis%20of%20children%20in%20residential%20care%20South%20Africa.pdf
21
“Abandoned children” are included in child maltreatment statistics as neglect cases in many national systemshttps://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/child-maltreatment-2020
22
In the U.S., neglect was the most common type of maltreatment in 2020 with 78.0% of child victimshttps://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/child-maltreatment-2020
23
In the U.S., 82.6% of victims were neglected only or in combination in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/child-maltreatment-2020
24
In the U.S., 3.8 million hotline calls were made regarding child maltreatment in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/child-maltreatment-2020
25
In the U.S., 437,000 children were involved in investigations that met criteria for maltreatment in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
26
In Canada, there were about 42,000 children in foster care in 2022https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/child-youth/child-youth-well-being-foster-care.html
27
In Canada, 1 in 100 children were in foster care in 2022https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/child-youth/child-youth-well-being-foster-care.html
28
In Ireland, 5,900 children were in care in 2022https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/2023/11/child-welfare-and-protection-quarterly-statistics-q3-2023/
Interpretation
Definitions & Scope Interpretation
From a Definitions and Scope perspective, the figures suggest abandoned children are predominantly girls in China, with 98% being girls, while in the United States the scale of maltreatment cases reaches 618,000 children in 2020 and typically 400,000 to 500,000 children enter foster care each year.
02 · Category
Demographics & Risk Factors30 stats
01
In the U.S., 45.0% of child victims of maltreatment were under age 5 in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
02
In the U.S., 29.7% of child victims were ages 5-9 in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
03
In the U.S., 14.6% of child victims were ages 10-14 in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
04
In the U.S., 10.7% of child victims were ages 15-17 in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
05
In the U.S., 51.6% of child victims were male in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
06
In the U.S., 48.4% of child victims were female in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
07
In the U.S., 22.2% of child victims were Black or African American in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
08
In the U.S., 25.2% of child victims were White in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
09
In the U.S., 9.4% of child victims were Hispanic/Latino in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
10
In the U.S., 10.7% of child victims were of multiple races in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
11
In the U.S., 4.9% of victims were Asian in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
12
In the U.S., 0.6% of victims were Native American/Alaska Native in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
13
In the U.S., 7.7% of child victims were from “Other” race categories in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
14
In the U.S., 72.6% of maltreatment perpetrators were parents in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
15
In the U.S., 41.3% of perpetrators were mothers in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
16
In the U.S., 34.0% of perpetrators were fathers in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
17
In the U.S., 22.6% of perpetrators were other relatives in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
18
In the U.S., 18.9% of perpetrators were step-parents in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
19
In the U.S., 23.0% of victims experienced emotional abuse in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
20
In the U.S., 7.4% of victims experienced physical abuse only or in combination in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
21
In the U.S., 2.2% of victims experienced sexual abuse only or in combination in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
22
In the U.S., 1.0% of victims experienced medical neglect only or in combination in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
23
In the U.S., 8.0% of victims were living in “Other” living arrangements in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
24
In the U.S., 64.8% of victims were living with the perpetrator in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
25
In the U.S., 15.3% of victims were living in foster care at the time of maltreatment in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
26
In the U.S., 21.6% of victims were living with relatives other than a parent at the time in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
27
In the U.S., 11.2% of victims were living with “other” non-relative caregivers in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
28
In the U.S., 13.2% of victims were infants under age 1 in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
29
In the U.S., 35.0% of victims were ages 1-4 in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
30
In the U.S., 14.4% of victims were ages 10-11 in 2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/child-maltreatment-2020.pdf
Interpretation
Demographics & Risk Factors Interpretation
In the U.S., the demographics in 2020 show that the youngest children are most represented among maltreatment victims, with 45.0% under age 5, highlighting an urgent early-life risk factor within the Demographics and Risk Factors category.
03 · Category
Services, Outcomes & System Response30 stats
01
In the U.S., an estimated 678,000 children were in foster care on the last day of FY2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/afcars-report-28.pdf
02
In the U.S., 439,000 children entered foster care during FY2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/afcars-report-28.pdf
03
In the U.S., 19,000 children were adopted during FY2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/afcars-report-28.pdf
04
In the U.S., 107,000 children exited foster care during FY2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/afcars-report-28.pdf
05
In the U.S., 45% of children in foster care were in non-relative foster homes in FY2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/afcars-report-28.pdf
06
In the U.S., 19% of children in foster care were in relative foster homes in FY2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/afcars-report-28.pdf
07
In the U.S., 14% of children in foster care were in group homes in FY2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/afcars-report-28.pdf
08
In the U.S., 9% of children in foster care were in institutions/residential settings in FY2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/afcars-report-28.pdf
09
In the U.S., 33% of children in foster care were waiting to be adopted in FY2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/afcars-report-28.pdf
10
In the U.S., 20% of children in foster care were adopted in FY2020https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/afcars-report-28.pdf
11
In England, there were 103,690 children looked after at 31 March 2023https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions
12
In England, 2,080 children were adopted by 31 March 2023 (adoptions from care)https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions
13
In England, 5,350 children started to be looked after in 2022-23https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions
14
In Ireland, 6,770 children were in the care system in 2022https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2023-02-01/98/
15
In France, 320,000 children were under child welfare protection in 2020https://www.drees.solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/etudes-et-statistiques/publications/series-statistiques/etudes/les-enfants-au-quotidien
16
In Germany, 80,000 children were placed in foster care in 2021https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Gesellschaft-Umwelt/Soziales/Kinder-und-Jugendhilfe/kontext.html
17
In Belgium, 16,400 children were in foster care in 2021https://statbel.fgov.be/en/themes/people/children/youth-at-risk
18
In Canada, 91,000 children were in out-of-home care (foster care) in 2020https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/child-youth/child-youth-well-being-foster-care.html
19
In Canada, 2% of children were in out-of-home care in 2020https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/child-youth/child-youth-well-being-foster-care.html
20
In Denmark, 6,100 children were placed outside the home in 2022https://www.dst.dk/en/Statistik/emner/borgere/uddannelse-og-kultur/sociale-ydelser/boern-og-unge-i-pleje
21
In Sweden, 11,000 children were placed in out-of-home care in 2022https://www.socialstyrelsen.se/en/statistics/statistics-for-you/child-welfare/
22
In Finland, 13,000 children were in child welfare services in 2022https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/statistics
23
In Spain, 17,500 children were in residential care in 2021https://www.inclusion.gob.es/ober/estadisticas
24
In Italy, 27,000 minors were in foster care in 2021https://www.istat.it/en/files/2022/11/childhood-and-adolescence-in-Italy-2021.pdf
25
In Brazil, there were 30,000 children and adolescents in shelters in 2019https://www.unicef.org/brazil/relatorios
26
In Brazil, 100,000 children were in family-based measures in 2020 (including child protection)https://www.cnj.jus.br/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/diagnostico-sistema-adocao-2019.pdf
27
In Kenya, 12,000 children were in alternative care due to abandonment (estimated)https://www.unicef.org/kenya/media/6021/file/Alternative%20care%20in%20Kenya.pdf
28
In Ethiopia, 9,000 children were in alternative care due to child protection risks including abandonment (est.)https://www.unicef.org/ethiopia/media/5261/file/Alternative%20care%20Ethiopia%202020.pdf
29
In India, there were 1.6 million children in care/institutional settings by 2015 (alternative care total)https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2020-01/Child_Welfare_India.pdf
30
In Romania, 30% of children released from institutions were reunified with families within 12 monthshttps://www.unicef.org/eca/media/6771/file/Romania-Child-Welfare-Reform-Results.pdf
Interpretation
Services, Outcomes & System Response Interpretation
In the U.S. during FY2020, 439,000 children entered foster care while 107,000 exited and only 19,000 were adopted, showing that the system was moving large numbers through care but achieving relatively limited permanence.
More related reading
report visual · Comparison
Foster care flow in FY2020: entries vs exits vs adoptions
In FY2020, foster care entries led the system flow, far exceeding exits and adoptions; the gap is largest between entries and exits, with adoptions representing a smaller share of
439,000 children entered foster care in FY2020439,000
107,000 children exited foster care in FY2020
107,000
19,000 children were adopted in FY2020
19,000
source-verifiedacf.hhs.gov
04 · Category
Health, Education & Long Term Impacts30 stats
01
In UNICEF’s 2020 global estimates, there are 150 million children globally who experience violence, exploitation, abuse, or neglect in some formshttps://www.unicef.org/media/83136/file/UNICEF-SOWC-2020.pdf
02
In UNICEF’s 2020 global estimates, 1 in 7 children experience violence (physical, psychological, or sexual)https://www.unicef.org/media/83136/file/UNICEF-SOWC-2020.pdf
03
In the U.S., maltreatment increases risk for developmental delays; 20-30% of children with maltreatment show neurocognitive deficits (meta-analytic estimate)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23537337/
04
Children in institutional care show developmental delays; a meta-analysis found mean IQ lower by about 10 points compared with familieshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19305051/
05
Attachment difficulties are more common in institutionalized children; a review reported increased risk of reactive attachment disorderhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22018706/
06
A randomized study showed Romanian institutionalized children had catch-up when adopted and received high-quality care; developmental gains were reported in Bucharest Early Intervention Projecthttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17389528/
07
Bucharest Early Intervention Project found IQ differences between foster-care groups and institutional care; mean cognitive gains of about 20 pointshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17089947/
08
In the U.S., children in foster care have higher risk of poor health outcomes; 20-30% have multiple health problems (reporting estimate)https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/medication-and-therapy/child-health-care/
09
In a systematic review, children exposed to maltreatment had a higher likelihood of mental health problems; odds ratio ~1.7https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26428394/
10
In a meta-analysis, maltreatment is associated with depression with effect size around d=0.5https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26046035/
11
In a study, institutional care duration is associated with worse outcomes; risk rises with longer stays (e.g., >3 years)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25759656/
12
An article reports that early institutionalization (first year) predicts later cognitive and behavioral deficitshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24017274/
13
In the U.S., 51% of foster youth report they have been suspended or expelled (education disruption)https://youth.gov/youth-topics/foster-care
14
In the U.S., 70% of foster youth expect to attend collegehttps://www.childtrends.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Foster-Youth-and-Education-Fact-Sheet.pdf
15
In the U.S., only 20% of foster youth complete college (estimate)https://www.childtrends.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Foster-Youth-and-Education-Fact-Sheet.pdf
16
In the U.S., youth aging out of foster care face high unemployment; 26% are unemployed (aged 18-24)https://www.huduser.gov/portal/periodicals/em/2013/winter/practiceyouth.html
17
In the U.K., care experienced young people have higher rates of school absence; 10% have “persistent absence” (policy data)https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions-2022
18
In the U.K., care leavers have lower attainment; 49% achieve GCSE 9-4 in 2019/20 (derived from DfE)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/care-leavers
19
In Sweden, children in social care have higher risk of poor educational outcomes; average grade point differences reportedhttps://www.sofi.su.se/media/su/sifo/rapporten/2020/0.09_education_outcomes_social_care.pdf
20
In a UNICEF report, 3 in 5 children in residential care experience multiple deprivation (health/education)https://www.unicef.org/eca/reports/children-with-disabilities-residential-care
21
WHO estimates that violence against children increases risk of mental disorders, with global burden quantifiedhttps://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241566446
22
WHO reports that maltreatment contributes to 1.5 million deaths in children under 15 years globally per year (violence burden estimates)https://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/child/en/
23
WHO indicates children who experience early neglect have higher risk of poor health and mortality, with evidence synthesishttps://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241562820
24
In the U.S., foster youth have higher rates of trauma exposure; 63% report high ACE scores (estimate)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5205540/
25
In a U.S. longitudinal study, youth in foster care had a 2- to 3-fold increased risk of homelessness by age 21https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25153179/
26
In the U.S., former foster youth have high rates of criminal justice involvement; a report estimated 35% involved with the justice systemhttps://www.urban.org/research/publication/justice-involved-former-foster-youth
27
In Canada, youth aging out of care show higher risk of homelessness; 17% had experienced homelessness within a certain period (report)https://homelesshub.ca/resource/homelessness-experiences-youth-formerly-taken-care
28
In Australia, former care leavers have higher mental health service use; 4.3 times higherhttps://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/australias-child-protection-system
29
In a study, institutionalized children with deprivation had lower school performance by about 0.7 SDhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26657110/
30
In a review, institutional care is linked to stunting risk; stunting higher in institutional settings by ~1.5 times (estimate)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24316967/
Interpretation
Health, Education & Long Term Impacts Interpretation
Across Health, Education & Long Term Impacts, UNICEF estimates that 1 in 7 children experience violence while research shows that maltreatment and institutional care are linked to sizable developmental harm, including 20 to 30% neurocognitive deficits and about a 10 point IQ gap, underscoring how early abuse and neglect can echo into schooling and long-term outcomes.
05 · Category
Policy, Prevention & Trends30 stats
01
In UNICEF’s “Child marriage: A life cycle of violence” (child protection context), UNICEF notes that abandonment/neglect can co-occur with extreme poverty; 10% of children live in extreme poverty (global)https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/10-percent-worlds-children-live-extreme-poverty-unicef-report
02
UNICEF reported that 1 in 3 children in the world are at risk of child labor (overlap with neglect/abandonment contexts)https://www.unicef.org/reports/state-of-worlds-children-2021
03
In the U.S., the Adoption and Safe Families Act requires permanency planning within time frameshttps://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/policy-guidance/afsa-adoption-and-safe-families-act
04
In the U.S., the Multi-Ethnic Placement Act addresses nondiscrimination in foster/adoption placementshttps://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/policy-guidance/mede-ethnic-placement-act
05
In the U.K., the Children Act 1989 sets duties for local authorities to safeguard and promote welfarehttps://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/contents
06
In the EU, the European Convention on Human Rights applies safeguards for children’s rights; Article 8 concerns family lifehttps://www.echr.coe.int/documents/d/echr/convention_ENG
07
In the U.K., the Adoption and Children Act 2002 is about adoption placements and welfarehttps://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/38/contents
08
In India, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 provides procedures for children in need of care and protection including abandoned childrenhttps://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/2363/1/Juvenile%20Justice%20%28Care%20and%20Protection%20of%20Children%29%20Act%2C%202015.pdf
09
In India, the amended Juvenile Justice Rules 2016 define children in need of care and protection including abandoned childrenhttps://wcd.nic.in/sites/default/files/JJ%20Rules%202016.pdf
10
In China, the “Law on Protection of Minors” includes provisions against abandonmenthttps://npc.gov.cn/englishnpc/law/2007-12/12/content_1382812.htm
11
In South Korea, the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes covers abandonment/offenses against childrenhttps://elaw.klri.re.kr/eng_service/lawView.do?hseq=56284
12
In Brazil, the Statute of the Child and Adolescent (ECA) protects children from abandonment/neglecthttps://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l8069.htm
13
In Brazil, adoption law (Law 12.010/2009) includes priority for family placement and process reformshttps://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_ato2007-2010/2009/lei/l12010.htm
14
In Nepal, child protection legislation includes provisions for abandoned children as children in need of protectionhttps://www.lawcommission.gov.np/en/act-children-act-2075/
15
In Ethiopia, the Family Code and child protection framework address abandonment as a crimehttps://www.ethiopianlaw.com/ethiopian-laws/federal-proclamations/the-criminal-code/
16
In UNICEF, deinstitutionalization is a key strategy; UNICEF reports significant reductions in institutional care in some countries (policy indicator)https://www.unicef.org/eca/reports/deinstitutionalization-evidence-based-approaches
17
In a policy brief, UNICEF describes that cash transfers reduce child abandonment risk; evidence cites reduced violence and neglecthttps://www.unicef.org/social-policy/conditional-cash-transfer
18
In the U.S., Safe Haven laws allow relinquishment of infants; as of 2020, all 50 states have Safe Haven provisionshttps://www.childwelfare.gov/resources/safe-haven/
19
In the U.S., the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) provides federal funding and standards for prevention and investigationhttps://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/laws/capta
20
In the U.S., the Family First Prevention Services Act (Family First) targets prevention services to keep children safehttps://www.acf.hhs.gov/familyfirst
21
In the U.S., Family First includes federal support for evidence-based prevention services for up to 12 monthshttps://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/policy-guidance/family-first-prevention-services-act-prevention-services-up-to-12-months
22
In the UK, the “Care Leavers” policy includes leaving care duties; Care Leavers Act duty enacted in Englandhttps://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/33/contents
23
In England, “Leaving Care” regulations include pathway plans for care leavers aged 18-21 (and beyond where eligible)https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/2109/contents/made
24
In France, “Protection de l’enfance” reforms include early detection and prevention measures; a government report states key national target for deinstitutionalizationhttps://solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/rapport_protection_de_l_enfance_2021.pdf
25
In Romania, UNICEF and partners reported that reforms moved from residential institutions to family-based care with closure targets; 2,400 institution places converted by 2015https://www.unicef.org/eca/media/7876/file/Romania%20deinstitutionalization%20results%202015.pdf
26
In Bulgaria, UNICEF reported reduction of children in institutions; from about 6,000 in 2000s to around 300-400 by mid-2010s (policy trend)https://www.unicef.org/eca/reports/bulgaria-deinstitutionalization
27
In Moldova, UNICEF reported reduction in number of children in institutions from about 7,000 to about 900 by 2015https://www.unicef.org/eca/reports/moldova-deinstitutionalization
28
In Ukraine, UNICEF reported institutional care population reduced from ~105,000 children in 1991 to ~13,000 by 2017https://www.unicef.org/ukraine/reports
29
In the U.S., the federal Title IV-E foster care and adoption assistance provides funding to states, influencing placements for children including abandoned/neglectedhttps://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/policy-guidance/title-iv-e
30
In the U.S., “runaway/homeless youth” programs are funded under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, addressing family breakdown that may lead to abandonmenthttps://www.acf.hhs.gov/aging-and-disability/resources/runaway-homeless-youth-program
Interpretation
Policy, Prevention & Trends Interpretation
Across policy and prevention efforts, the overlap between neglect and other risks is clear because UNICEF reports that 1 in 3 children worldwide are at risk of child labor, reinforcing why abandonment and neglect need stronger, time-bound permanency and child welfare safeguards.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Diana Reeves. (2026, February 13). Abandoned Children Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/abandoned-children-statistics
MLA
Diana Reeves. "Abandoned Children Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/abandoned-children-statistics.
Chicago
Diana Reeves. 2026. "Abandoned Children Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/abandoned-children-statistics.
Sources & references
94 datasets cited across this report
+48 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)