International Child Abduction - An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure
According to data from the United States Department of State, since the late 1970's approximately 16,000 children have either been abducted from the United States or prevented by one of their parents from returning to the United States.travel.state.gov/family/abduction/abduction_580.html The advent of the Internet, e-mail, and a global economy have made international marriages more common. Therefore, it is likely that international child custody conflicts will increase in the future.
Once a child is taken from the United States, there is a series of complicated procedures that must be undertaken to regain possession of the child. A great deal also depends on whether the country where the child was taken is a member of The Hague Convention.travel.state.gov/family/abduction/hague_issues/hague_issues_1487.html Therefore, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
All parents should be aware of the Children's Passport Issuance Alert Program through the US State Department. Through this program parents may make a written request for notification before a U.S. passport is issued in the child's name. This request will remain on file until the child turns 18 year of age.
Parents may also request information packets from the US State Department regarding abduction prevention procedures.
Some additional precautionary measures parents may take include:
Keeping current photos of the child and other parent readily at hand;
Compiling and keeping current, a list of friends, family members, and business contacts in the other parent's home country. This list should include names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses;
Maintaining a list of pertinent information about the other parent such as Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, passport numbers, credit card and bank account numbers, etc.; and
Teaching your children to use the telephone and make international collect calls.
