What is the Abandoned Infants Assistance program?

In 1988, Congress passed the Abandoned Infants Assistance Act to address the "boarder baby" phenomenon, wherein infants, particularly those perinatally exposed to drugs or HIV, reside in hospitals indefinitely due to difficulties in locating appropriate living arrangements. This legislation, which is administered by the Children's Bureau, provides funding to support the Resource Center and direct service projects.

Administered by the Children’s Bureau, the Abandoned Infants Assistance program provides grants to support service programs that prevent the abandonment of children and to identify and address the needs of infants and young children, particularly those with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and drug exposure.

What is the role of the National Abandoned Infants Assistance Resource Center?

The National Abandoned Infants Assistance Resource Center's mission is to enhance the quality of social and health services delivered to children who are abandoned or at-risk of abandonment due to the presence of drugs and/or HIV in the family. The Resource Center provides training, information, support, and resources to service providers who assist these children and their families.

What services are provided by the AIA direct service programs?

In addition to the Resource Center, direct service programs receive funding from the Children's Bureau under the Abandoned Infants Assistance Act. The programs are diverse, operating out of hospitals, community-based agencies, and child welfare agencies. While they each provide a set of services tailored to meet their specific populations and circumstances, in aggregate, they provide the following services: case management, parenting education and support, transportation assistance, basic resource assistance, mental health counseling, home visiting, infant developmental screening and intervention, primary health care, and drug treatment and recovery support. These services are intended to promote child and family health, well-being, and stability.

Who do the direct service programs serve?

The AIA programs serve biological, kinship, foster, and adoptive families who care for drug and HIV affected children. These children have been abandoned in hospitals or are at-risk of abandonment. These families face an array of complex societal problems including poverty, homelessness, alcohol or other drug abuse, physically, sexually and emotional abusive relationships or histories, HIV infection, and mental illness. To view a description of each AIA program, Click Here.

If you would like additional information, please feel free to contact the Resource Center.