"Family Talk Wednesday" Why would a parent abandon a child?

The narratives surrounding child abandonment cases are as different as the people involved, front-line child welfare workers say. Poor parenting skills, a lack of housing, substance abuse and a lack of financial resources. When people don't have money, they tend to move from one place to another, "They don't get settled in and they don't create any community attachments. When they do need assistance, they don't know where to go,". Even people who live with family members can feel isolated if they do not feel nurtured and supported. "Quite often the parents (who abandon children) feel abandoned themselves in terms of feeling isolated, not having a support system in which they can vent, talk, whatever. The number of child abandonment cases in Utah is actually declining and experts point to awareness of resources and the willingness of people to get involved as a reason. Close friends and loved ones who are aware of circumstances that could result in child abandonment, neglect or abuse could help but feel conflicted about reporting it to authorities,  "Some people say, 'Should I report or should I help?' It's not mutually exclusive. You can report it to people who need to know while also offering help. You can do both of those things,"