AST August 2018 Magazine Aug 2018 Final (8.14.18) | Page 34
If Volume
You Believe
an Abduction is in
26
Progress:
Augus 2018 Edition
If you believe your child is being abducted inter-
nationally by another family member and has not
yet left the United States, you can call the Office of
Children’s Issues at any time at 888-407-4747.
Steps to Stopping an Abduction in Progress
24 Hours a day, contact us at 1-888-407-4747 or
via e-mail at [email protected]
If you have reason to believe that your child is in
the process of being abducted by a parent, legal
guardian, or someone acting on their behalf, there
are steps that can be taken to prevent the abduc-
tion.
Immediate steps you can take include:
C ONTACT THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN’S ISSUES,
PREVENTION BRANCH AT 1-888-407-4747
OBTAIN A COURT ORDER:
• A court order is vital to preventing the departure of
a child.
• You can retain an attorney to discuss your options.
• Law enforcement may not be able to act unless
there is a court order that prohibits the child’s
travel outside of the United States.
• Court orders preventing the removal of the minor
child from the court’s jurisdiction, the state, or the
country will give law enforcement more authority
to prevent abduction.
• For information regarding prevention under the
International Child Abduction Prevention and Re-
turn Act visit here and also review our page titled
Law and Regulations.
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