Distance between parents and their children is rough for both parties, especially during the formative years of a child. Satellite children, a term coined by psychologist Yvonne Bohr, have to undergo a cruel fate that ultimately ends in dissociation and depression, among other mental issues.

Satellite children are immigrant youths born in Western and European countries that get sent to their (usually) Asian homelands under the care of a relative for a couple of years until they are returned to their parents. The children range from infants to toddlers, though it is common for adolescents to get in the mix.

Bohr, who has been studying separations since 2006, reported that babies form strong emotional connections and require consistent care with the assurance of protection. These constants tremendously help in the well-being and overall emotional health of the baby. Satellite children are often sent away when they have developed a close bond to the parents, making the distance more difficult and painful. According to Bohr, when they return home, the parents expect the children to be happy, not understanding that to them, it is no longer home.

There are many factors as to why parents resort to this practice; sometimes it is under the guise of immersing the children in their cultural roots. In reality, it is financial struggles and lack of affordable childcare that often leads them to send their children away. The Economic Policy Institute states that infant care costs exceed the average salary of working immigrants in the United States. In New York, a full-time minimum wage salary is $18,720 yearly while the standard annual cost of child care is $14,114 for only one infant.