Poverty is not neglect.

The socio-economic disadvantages disproportionately affecting families in extreme poverty, including indigenous or other historically discriminated groups, are often misunderstood as neglect leading society and authorities to condemn parents facing difficult choices. A mother may have to leave her children unsupervised while she works long hours so that she can feed her family. In other contexts, extreme poverty may force parents to entrust their children to orphanages or to work in domestic service. Hunger and deprivation may drive children onto the streets, making them easy targets for gangs, abuse or other forms of exploitation. Poverty is the collective failure of policies and practices that perpetuate discrimination and economic disadvantages of people furthest behind.