If your child has been abducted by a parent, a guardian, or someone acting on their behalf and taken to another country, we can:
- Give you information about various resources that may assist you in pursuing the return of, or access to, your child
- Provide you with a list of attorneys in the country where your child is located
- Answer questions from local and federal law enforcement about the Department’s role in international parental child abduction cases
- Forward a completed Hague Abduction Convention (Convention) application and monitor the case throughout the foreign administrative and legal processes. This applies only if your child has been abducted to or retained in a country that is a Convention partner country, regardless of your or your child’s citizenship or legal status.
We cannot:
- Provide you with legal advice, recommend a specific course of action, or represent you in court
- Guarantee the return of, or access to, your child
- Take custody of your child
- Break any laws in the United States or in a foreign country
- Pay legal fees, court costs, or any other fees associated with court cases
- Provide you with lodging
See also:
Frequently Asked Questions
Contacting Law Enforcement
Filing a Hague Application
Finding an Attorney Abroad