{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.child-abandonment","code":"thing-q202415","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q202415/","name":"child abandonment","alternateNames":["Coin-operated-locker babies","Neonatal abandonment in Japan","Child abandonment under the Ancien Régime","Infant exposure","anonymous birth"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.4","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Activities and processes","entryKind":"thing","plane":"ACT","domain":["ACT.PRC"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"The practice of deserting a child without care or legal transfer of responsibility, with historical and regional forms the registry aliases name, including infant exposure in antiquity, abandonment to foundling hospitals under the French Ancien Regime, the coin-operated locker babies found in Japan in the 1970s and neonatal abandonment in Japan more broadly, and legal alternatives such as anonymous birth, known in France as accouchement sous X, confidential birth laws and safe haven laws that allow parents to leave newborns safely; baby boxes are debated, with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child raising concerns. Parents in crisis should be directed to support services, and anyone finding an abandoned baby should call emergency services.","purpose":"Let an agent explain child abandonment, relay history, legal responses, safe alternatives and debates from child welfare, legal and historical sources with positions attributed, route parents in crisis to support and people finding a baby to emergency services, describe the named practices, and distinguish abandonment from adoption, foster care, neglect and child trafficking.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Child welfare issue","Legal alternatives exist","Historical institutions","Contested interventions"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"understand","name":"Understand","description":"What child abandonment is.","layers":[{"id":"definition","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","findings":[{"id":"definition-finding","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","questions":[{"text":"What is child abandonment, and how does it differ from adoption, foster care, neglect and trafficking?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Has someone found a baby or is a parent in crisis, in which case call emergency services or contact confidential pregnancy and family support services?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"practices","name":"Practices","description":"Named practices.","findings":[{"id":"practices-finding","name":"Practices","description":"Practices.","questions":[{"text":"What were infant exposure, Ancien Regime abandonment and coin-operated locker babies, and what are anonymous births?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which entry fits the specific practice?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"history","name":"History","description":"History.","layers":[{"id":"foundlings","name":"Foundlings","description":"Foundling hospitals.","findings":[{"id":"foundlings-finding","name":"Foundlings","description":"Foundlings.","questions":[{"text":"How did foundling hospitals and wheels operate in Europe?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which references are standard?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"japan","name":"Japan","description":"Japan.","findings":[{"id":"japan-finding","name":"Japan","description":"Japan.","questions":[{"text":"How have researchers explained newborn abandonment in Japan, including the 1970s locker cases?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which sources are cited?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"law","name":"Law","description":"Legal responses.","layers":[{"id":"safehaven","name":"Safe haven","description":"Safe haven laws.","findings":[{"id":"safehaven-finding","name":"Safe haven","description":"Safe haven.","questions":[{"text":"How do safe haven and confidential birth laws work, in general terms?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits safe-haven law?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"babyboxes","name":"Baby boxes","description":"Baby box debates.","findings":[{"id":"babyboxes-finding","name":"Baby boxes","description":"Baby boxes.","questions":[{"text":"What do supporters and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child say about baby boxes, with positions attributed?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the presentation neutral and attributed?","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"context","name":"Context","description":"Support and rights.","layers":[{"id":"support","name":"Support","description":"Support services.","findings":[{"id":"support-finding","name":"Support","description":"Support.","questions":[{"text":"What support exists for people facing unplanned pregnancies or parenting crises?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits crisis pregnancy center?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"identity","name":"Identity","description":"Right to know origins.","findings":[{"id":"identity-finding","name":"Identity","description":"Identity.","questions":[{"text":"How do laws balance anonymous birth with a child s right to know their origins?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits right to know one s origins?","kind":"action"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Explain child abandonment historically and today, including safe haven laws in a stated jurisdiction.","Point people in crisis to emergency services, child protection and support lines."],"mustNot":["Ignore or delay reporting an immediate risk to a child.","Stigmatise parents in crisis or shame people who used safe haven provisions.","Frame the debate on baby boxes in a partisan way.","Reveal identities of abandoned children or birth parents."],"requiresHuman":["Contacting authorities about a specific child at risk."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Children's lives and identities are at stake.","Parents in crisis need help, not blame, if children are to be kept safe."],"affectedParties":["Abandoned children","Birth parents","Foster and adoptive families"]},"owners":{"steward":"Child protection authorities and courts answer for each child.","roles":[],"masterSystems":["Child protection and civil registration records"]},"relations":[{"target":"Q2305441","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"social process","type":"related","note":"in registry terms"},{"target":"safe-haven law","type":"related"},{"target":"adoption","type":"related"},{"target":"foundling hospital","type":"related"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.child-abandonment","Wikidata: Q202415 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q202415)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"not-applicable","items":["French anonymous birth: accouchement sous X note - long-standing legal practice","German confidential birth law: 2014 year","first US safe haven law: 1999 year - Texas"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"optional","items":["Deserting a child without care or legal transfer","Coin-operated locker babies, neonatal abandonment in Japan, abandonment under the Ancien Regime, infant exposure, anonymous birth","Adoption is legal transfer; foster care is state-arranged care; neglect is failure to meet needs; trafficking exploits children","Not a visible object; a social and legal issue."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain history and law","relay safe alternatives","describe named practices","route crises and emergencies"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Missing an urgent risk to a child","Stigmatising parents in crisis","Partisan framing of baby box debates"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["UN Convention on the Rights of the Child","National child protection, safe haven and anonymous birth laws"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Not applicable; a child welfare and social issue.","historical infant exposure","foundling hospital systems","newborn abandonment","anonymous and confidential birth","safe haven and baby box schemes"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q202415: child abandonment","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q202415","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Child abandonment","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_abandonment","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should anonymous birth be a separate entry?","How should child welfare sources be linked by country?","How should baby box debates be presented?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q202415/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q202415/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-13T21:57:44Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"not-applicable","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-06T19:51:56+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass","interaction.properties":"Plane ACT: no invented physical properties."},"score":1.0}}