The Central Authority for The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, is the Office of Children's Issues, within the Bureau of Counselor Affairs, in the U.S. Department of State. Under cooperative agreement between the Department of State and The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.The NCMEC handles all "incoming" cases, children abducted into the United States, and the Office of Children's Issues handles all "outgoing" cases, children abducted from the U.S. to another country. Office of Children's Issues "The Office of Children's Issues formulates, develops, and coordinates policies and programs and provides direction to foreign service posts on international parental child abduction. It fulfills U.S. treaty obligations relating to the abduction of children". This is the office within the U.S. Department of State that acts as the Central Authority. This site will allow you to better understand the role of Children's Issues as it relates to international child abduction.
For information and articles specifically about the Hague Treaty please click here.
Child Support
Enforcement Abroad
The
Common Law Conference on International Custody: Judges representing
six delegations...proposed the following "Best Practices"
to improve operation of the Hague Convention.
Consular
Information Sheets:
The
Epidemic of Parental Child-Snatching: An Overview: Attempts
to Prevent Parental Child Abduction, Applicable United States
Laws, and the Hague Convention, By Hon. William Rigler. "This
article analyzes several facets of the tragedy of child-snatching:
ways to curb it, applicable legislation, and judicial responses."
Executive
Summary: Common law Judicial Conference on International Child
Custody: A Report on the Conference. The delegations "exchanged
information and opinions about how courts are, and should be,
handling international abduction cases, and in particular cases
involving the Child Abduction Convention" (Hague).
GAO Report:
Federal Response to International Parental Child Abductions.
GAO Report:
Specific Action Plan Needed to Improve Response to Parental Child
Abductions.
GAO Report:
Foreign Affairs: Status of U.S. P4arental Child Abductions to
Germany, Sweden, and Austria.
GAO Report:
Changes to Germany's Implementation of the
Hague Child Abduction Convention
How
Judges Can Support the Operation of the Child Abduction Convention:
By the Rt Hon Lord Justice Thrope, given at the Common Law Judicial
Conference, September 17-21, 2000, Washington, D.C.
International
Child Abduction
International
Child Abduction Agreement Is Signed: between the National
Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the United States
Department of State.
International
Child Abduction Remedies Act: (ICARA)
International
Child Custody: A Common Law Judicial Conference, September
18-21, 2000. Issues surrounding a safe return of the child. By
the Delegation from the Commonwealth of Australia.
International
Parental Child Abduction Home Page The Office of Children's Issues at the State Department assists in cases of international parental child abduction. We place the highest priority on the welfare of children who have been victimized in such cases. We are prepared to assist you as you pursue recovery of your abducted child
Legal
Solutions When the Hague Convention Does Not Apply
List
of countries that have signed the Hague Treaty: From the
Office of Childrens Issues.
National
Report of the United States of America: For the Common Law
Judicial Conference on International Child Custody, Washington,
D.C. September 17-21, 2000. Organization of the Courts of the
United States of America.
PASSPORTS: Important
Notice: All Minors must Appear in Person
PASSPORTS:
Special Passport Requirements for Children Under Age 14 As
required by Public Law 106-113. Effective July 2, 2001. Each
Minor Child Applying for a Passport Shall Appear in Person
PASSPORTS:
The Children's Passport Issuance Alert Program (CPIAP) is
a service for the parents and legal guardians of minor children.
It enables the Department of State's Office of Children's Issues
to notify a parent or court ordered legal guardian before issuing
a U.S. passport for his or her child.
Privacy
Act Waiver Form: In accordance with the Privacy Act (PL 93-579)
passed by Congress in 1974, U.S. Department of State personnel
are not permitted to release any information not deemed to be
in the public domain, regarding private individuals, without
the express written consent of the concerned citizen(s).It is
therefore requested that you complete the attached authorization,
specifying those persons and/or organizations the Office of Childrenís
Issues (CA/OCS/CI) may contact, and to whom the Office of Childrenís
Issues may release information regarding your case.
Reports on Compliance with the Hague Abduction Convention
Each year, the Department of State Office of Children's Issues is required under Public Law 105-277, Section 2803 to submit to Congress a report on compliance by treaty partner countries with the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Parental Child Abduction (Hague Abduction Convention).
Testimony of Maura Harty
6/22/2004: Maura Harty, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs - Before the House Committee on International Relations: Child Abduction
Testimony of Maura Harty
7/9/2003: Maura Harty, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs - Before the Subcommittee on Human Rights and Wellness, House Committee on Government Reform, on International Parental Child Abduction
Testimony of Maura Harty
6/26/2003: Maura Harty, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs - Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on International Child Abduction and International Adoption
What We're
Doing New About Child Abduction: By Barbara Greig: Recently,
the State Department has greatly increased the attention given
to the problem, though the effort is not often recognized.
Other Links:
- State Department's Home Page
- Consular Affair's Home Page
- Office of Authentication: Authenticating documents that will enable you to conduct your affairs overseas.
- Hague Conference on Private International Law Home Page
- U.S. Embassies and other Diplomatic Missions
- Foreign Embassies in Washington, DC
- Foreign Embassies Worldwide