Some of you may not be aware of the term international parental child abduction, but those of us that are involved with the I CARE Foundation are all too familiar with it. International parental child abduction is a serious issue that affects many thousands of unsuspecting parents and children worldwide each and every year. It is a severe form of abuse against not only innocent children, but also those parents that must then fight to reunite... hopefully safely... with their parentally kidnapped child. It is a horrific and unforgiving world that no parent... and no child... should ever have to experience. The I CARE Foundation is very aware of the incredible risks and challenges that face both the abducted child and left behind parents once an abduction takes place... so prevention is always the key!
Peter Thomas Senese, the Executive Director of the I CARE Foundation shares, "The travel document does not simply act as a parent consent form allowing a child to travel abroad but reinforces a child's return to their country of origin based upon affirmation requirements that remove the majority of an abductor's legal defenses to remain abroad in connection with Hague law. The consent form is a tool that can be utilized by parents around the world, as well as attorneys who are trying to protect abduction. If a traveling parent refuses to sign the document, then under no circumstance should the other parent or a court permit a child to travel abroad as there is a heightened increase to an abduction threat."
As you read this you might think to yourself... "This could never happen to me". Generally every parent that has become a victim would have, at some point, said the same thing. The parents that need to pay most attention to this information are those that are involved in relationships that are strained or are in the midst of a divorce or separation, as well, those that are involved in child custody disputes, These parents should be very aware of the risks involved when it comes to your child traveling abroad - in particular if your child's other parent has strong ties to a foreign country. Another important aspect to this - if you happen to have a custody agreement that states that your child must travel, never assume that a court order is enough to ensure that your child will return home safely because this is just not the case. A parent that is already willing to kidnap their child, which is an extreme form of child abuse, is not going to think twice about ignoring the requirements of a court order. The simple fact is that without the protection of a travel consent form that has immediate and clear ramifications attached to it, such as the I CARE Foundation's International Travel Child Consent Form, there are no guarantees that your child will return home.
Understand that the intent here is not to be blunt, but rather share the cruel reality that faces so many families today. Is there a chance that yours might be one of these families? If so, don't hide your head in the sand. Being proactive and being aware of the warning signs of international parental child abduction, could well protect your child from a life of abuse at the hands of his/her other parent.
If you don't fit into any of the criteria above, you should still be aware when traveling. Parental child abduction can commonly occur when both parents are traveling with their child to a foreign country. Perhaps you have planned a family vacation over, say, Christmas holidays during which, something like this could happen: The traveling family arrives in the foreign country they are visiting, and once they have landed, the would-be abducting parent files false claims of abuse and neglect against the other parent... the unsuspecting parent! Once this is done, they notify the other parent that they and the child will not be returning back to the country of original jurisdiction. From here, the targeted parent is generally forced to return back home without their child where they then need to seek legal assistance.
This is an example of what the cruel and unforgivable world of international child abduction can be like. But once again, it is important to note, that as a parent there are things that can be done to help protect your child and to help protect yourself.
The I CARE Foundation focuses a great deal of their efforts on abduction prevention and has been involved in an growing number of cases in both prevention and reunification. The work of those involved with the Foundation speaks for itself. At the forefront of this work is Peter Thomas Senese, who shows time and again that protecting children from parental abduction is a commitment that he stands unbowed to so that children and their families may never know the nightmare that is the world of international abduction. There are numerous sworn testimonial letters from individuals regarding the advocacy and volunteer work that Peter does each and every day. As well, Peter has provided testimony to the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in regards to the issues that revolve around international parental child abduction.
And on a final note, it's important to mention again about the 12.23% decline in the reported U.S. outbound abduction rate during the year 2013. This past year's decline brings the overall reduction in the outbound rate of international parental child abduction to over 38% since the I CARE Foundation began their advocacy efforts and working to bring an end to international abduction and trafficking. As the I CARE Foundation continues it's extensive work in advocating and protecting children we hope to see this trend continue in the year to come. However, the truth is, there is still a great of work to do... so our efforts continue while we work to protect the innocence of children around the world.
To DOWNLOAD a copy of the International Travel Child Consent Form, please visit the I CARE Foundation's official website.
To DOWNLOAD a copy of the International Travel Child Consent Form, please visit the I CARE Foundation's official website.
