How to Protect Your Child From Parental Abduction

Keep recent photos of your child and current information about your ex. If you are worried about abduction, it is important to be prepared and informed.

Difficulty:

Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Cameras
• Film

1. Consider how likely parental abduction is for your child.

2. Take color photographs of your child every six months, more often for infants.

3. Teach your child how to use the phone to call the police and how to make a collect call to call you.

4. Apply for a passport for your child and keep it in a safe deposit box. Only one passport may be issued per person and the child cannot be taken out of the country without it. If your child already has a passport, get it, even if that means you have to plan an expensive trip to the Carribean with your child as a reason to get it.

5. Make copies of the other parent's birth certificate, driver's license and passport.

6. Keep detailed records about the other parent. Include social security numbers, date of birth, physical description, addresses, work history, bank name and account numbers, and names of family and friends.

7. Keep a color photo of the other parent.

8. Refuse to send your child on visitation if you really believe an abduction is going to happen.

9. Hire an attorney and file for full custody of the child and ask that the other parent only have supervised contact with the child.

10. Obtain certified copies of the custody order and give them to the school and any caregivers with instructions that the child may not be released to anyone but you.

11. Discuss the situation with your child and explain that it is against the law for the other parent to take him or her away without your permission. Tell the child that you would never give your permission for that and if the other parent says you did, it is a lie.

Tips & Warnings

• Be aware that if the other parent takes the child to certain countries, especially if the parent is from there, there is little chance of getting the child back. Take preventive steps so this does not happen.