In 2010, there were 74.2 million children under age 18 under United states, making up 24% of the population ( Federal Inter agency Forum on child and family stats 2011). The doctrine of allowing the state to become a substitute parent where a child has been abandoned, neglected, or dependent is known as Parens patriae. Or in other words the literal meaning of Parens Patriae is "a doctrine allowing the state to assume guardianship of abandoned, neglected, and "wayward" children.