Opening an International Parental Child Abduction Case

Begin by opening an international parental child abduction case. This should be done in two places:

  1. The Office of Children's Issues

    Contact our office. We have country officers who stand ready to assist. We have expertise about specific countries and regions of the world, the laws and possible solutions in each country. After you call, we will open an international parental child abduction case for you, and your case will remain open until you request it to be closed or your child is returned to the United States.

    *Note: También hay oficiales que hablan español.

    United States Department of State
    Bureau of Consular Affairs
    Office of Children’s Issues

    Toll Free Phone from the U.S./Canada: 1-888-407-4747
    Outside the U.S/Canada: 1-202-501-4444
    Fax 202-736-9132

  2. The National Crime Information Center (NCIC)

    Contact your local police, file a missing person's report, and request that your child's name be entered into to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computer database. This is a mechanism provided to you by the Federal National Child Search Act of 1990, Make this report and enter your child in NCIC even if you think you know where your child is located in another country. If your local law enforcement is unaware of the legal requirements for immediate entry into NCIC, please let our office know. We will contact the law enforcement agency and provide them with information that may assist you.

    Note: It is not always a good idea to file criminal charges against the abducting parent at this time.

 

Respond to Abduction: Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5