Maryland

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State Clearinghouse on Missing Children

Reason to contact:

A state clearinghouse is an entity (usually law enforcement) that provides help in cases of parental child abduction.  For abductions TO the United States, they can help locate a child.  For abductions FROM the United States, they may serve as a resource to left-behind parents in filing missing person reports.

Maryland Center for Missing Children
Maryland State Police - Missing Persons
1201 Reisterstown Rd.
Pikesville, MD 21208
Phone: (410) 653-4200
Toll Free: 1 (800) 637-5437 (nationwide)
Fax: (410) 290-1831
Website

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Law Enforcement

Reason to contact:

Contact your local police to file a missing person's report and request that your child's name be entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computer database. 

FBI Field Office
2600 Lord Baltimore Drive
Baltimore, MD 21244
Phone: (410) 265-8080
baltimore.fbi.gov

State Patrol
Phone: (410) 653-4200 or 800-525-5555
http://www.mdsp.org

Department of Public Safety
https://news.maryland.gov/dpscs/

Department of Transportation
http://www.mdot.maryland.gov

Port Authorities
Maryland Port Authority Police
https://mdta.maryland.gov/Police/Police_Main.html

Country-wide resources:
Removing, or attempting to remove, a child from the United States or retaining a child outside of the United States with the intent to obstruct parental rights is a Federal crime under the International Parental Kidnapping Crime Act (18 U.S.C. 1204).  The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has jurisdictional authority for investigating Federal crimes.  FBI field offices are located throughout the U.S. and should be contacted if you have questions or believe your child has been or will be abducted outside of the United States.  To locate the FBI field office closest to you, access this link:  http://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field

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Airports

Reason to contact:

If you know your child is being taken to the airport as part of a possible abduction, contact the airport to request assistance.  You should have copies of all custody and legal documents ready to send by email or fax, if needed.  You can contact the State Department’s Office of Children’s Issues to assist you as you undertake this process at PreventAbduction1@state.gov or by calling 888-407-4747. 

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Baltimore/ Glen Burnie (BWI)
Phone: (410) 859-7111
Airport Police Department phone number: (410) 859-7040
https://www.bwiairport.com/contact

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Legal Aid

Reason to contact:

If you are party to an international parental child abduction case in the United States or abroad, a legal aid organization may be able to assist you with your legal representation.  Legal aid organizations provide legal assistance for free or for a reduced charge to eligible individuals.  Eligibility is generally based on income and resource ceilings as well as restrictions on the types of cases they will take. 

For information about legal aid and other legal referral resources, visit

Follow the prompts for the particular state in which you are seeking legal services.

The Maryland Legal Assistance Network
Maryland Family Law
https://www.mdcourts.gov/circuit/howard/familylawprogram

Maryland General Assembly
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/

Maryland Judiciary
http://www.courts.state.md.us/index.html
Department of Family Administration, Administrative Office of the Courts
http://www.courts.state.md.us/family/forms/

Maryland State Bar Association
Phone: (410) 685-7878
800-492-1964
Fax: 410-685-1016
https://www.msba.org/

Maryland Attorney General
http://www.oag.state.md.us/

Locator Service
Child Support Enforcement Administration
311 W. Saratoga Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: 1-800-332-6347
https://dhs.maryland.gov/child-support-services/

Compensation Program for Crime Victims
Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
6776 Reisterstown Road, Ste. 206
Baltimore, MD 21215
Phone: 410-585-3010 or toll free 888-679-9347
https://dpscs.maryland.gov/victimservs/cicb/index.shtml

Non-Profit Organizations
Contact Association of Missing and Exploited Children’s Organizations (AMECO) toll-free at 1-877-263-2620 for a referral

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Resources for State Statutes

Reason to contact:

The resources below may be a good starting place for determining whether statutes regarding abduction prevention exist in your state.  You may want to consult the website for the Attorney General’s Office of your state or with an attorney licensed to practice law in your state.  (Please note: the resources below may not be current and may change at any time.  They are provided for informational purposes only, and are not intended to consist of legal advice).

Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act (UCAPA) – Enactment by state

Family Abduction: Prevention and Response (6th Ed)