Over the last couple of years there has been an increase of children being abandoned
and left on the streets in Utah.  Several stories, most of them like the story of the Kearns
woman below, have shown up in local news about children who have been left on the streets
or abandoned at the hospital or left in a hot car.
Legally these actions are called “child abandonment” according to utah.gov.  This means
that the legal guardian, of any child under the age of 18, who intentionally ceases to maintain
physical custody of the child, or who intentionally fails to make reasonable arrangements for
the safety, care, and physical custody of the child, or who intentionally fails to provide the child
with food, shelter, or clothing is considered child abandonment according to utah.gov.  Often
these proceedings are executed when a mother leaves a baby at the door of a hospital, or in
even worse conditions on the street.
On August 26th, in Kearns, Utah, a 24 year-old women who said that she didn’t know she
was pregnant, left her baby in a trash can, according to dailymail.com.  Neighbors heard some
sounds coming from a trash can and thought a cat was meowing. They looked into the situation
and found that it was actually a baby.  The baby was found on a Tuesday, but doctors say that
she was born on a Sunday.  She is now recovering in a Salt Lake City hospital.  The woman’s
aunt says that the mother has learning disabilities and she does not think like a 24 year-old.
On August 4th, 2014 a child died in a hot car in Hurricane, Utah according to news.com.
April Suwyn left her baby in a hot car when she made “a quick run home” which turned out to
be not so quick.  When April finally left her home to pick up her other two children from the
babysitter, she remembered Skyah, the baby.  By then it was too late.  April says, “If only I
wouldn’t have been out of my routine that day…”
Child abandonment has become an increasing issue in the state of Utah.  We need to
bring awareness to the issue for the safety of the children.