I spent a lot of weekends visiting with her. My son had left the relationship, but I continued seeing my grandchild. She and her older brother would often spend weekends at my home. When she was six her mother abandoned her and her older brother. When I found out, I went and got her and I never took her back. In the meantime, my middle son and his wife agreed to take her in. She had never been to school, and her health was in such a state that the Dept. of Health Services said she was a borderline criminal neglect case. My son and his wife filed for guardianship, and my youngest son signed away his parental rights. God intervened many times to assist us in getting final guardianship of her.
After 4 and a half years, she is beginning to settle into a normal life. My son and his wife (trained as foster parents) were perfectly equipped to care for her. They have done a wonderful job. They have 2 other daughters of their own.
The mother has never had to pay any price for all this mess. She has had several more children. She has tried to fight us in court several times, but has finally given up.
At least now the cycle is broken - my grandchild will not have to be like her mother.
IMO, the problem with society today is that we don't openly condemn this behavior. Instead, we are conditioned to make these sad sacks out to be "victims".
Image if enough people in the country called these folks what they really are: "worthless","whores","deadbeats","bumbs",etc. This used to happen and I think, in large part, public scorn for these folks kept them in check. Nowdays you get public scorn if you use these labels on those who really deserve them.