It sounds weird to say, but when you have those babies that are born addicted and the parents don’t visit/stay at the hospital, it really is the best for the child that they fuck off and stay gone.

The kid can get on the fast track to adoption to people that want him/her if mom and dad just bail. Otherwise that child will bounce from foster home to foster home (maybe briefly staying with the parents until they fuck up badly enough or quit) until baby is at least 23 months, but the parents can drag it on for years, if they choose.

My favorite cases to work on are safe haven babies. The parents are gone and stay gone, and that baby can go to people who will care for it before it has memories...almost immediately.

If it makes you feel better, a NICU baby whose parents don’t care for it will usually go to a specialized foster family once they can leave the NOCU. Many of them are trained nurses who can address the medical issues and still give the love and attention a baby needs.

As a social worker with infertility struggles who will make my own family with my husband via adopting someday, I greatly appreciate the parents who understand their limitations from day one and don’t come back, because they know it’s in the child’s best interest. I have a lot of respect for those people.

Kiddo will be well cared for and adopted by people who want it, if mom and dad are self aware enough to do what’s best for the baby.