How to Get Information About My Child's Passport

You see it on tv or in movies: one parent gets a passport for the child and whisks him or her off to a foreign country while the other parent is left helpless. You never think it will happen to you, but in case of divorce and other circumstances, this scenario often becomes a reality. What are your rights, what are your child's rights and what rights does the other parent have? When it comes to minors, both parents have rights, unless a court has ordered otherwise. Still, these rights don't prevent some parents from doing as they please. There are certain things you need to be aware of when it comes to your child and his or her passport.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Teach your child his or her home phone number, how to make a collect call, how to call 911 for help and other possible life-saving information that every child should know. This could save your child's life one day or even help him upon being abducted by his own parent.
2. Know your rights concerning your child and his or her passport. Different countries have different laws. Some require both parents to sign the passport, whereas others allow only the dad. It pays to know your rights - and the law - no matter where you live.
3. Speak to an attorney about having a decree of sole custody issued, or a joint custody decree prohibiting the crossing of state lines - or from leaving the country - without your permission.
4. Contact the Department of State's Passport Lookout Program to find out if your child has been issued a passport. If so, there are steps you can begin taking to try and find the child.
5. Ask that the Department of State add your child's name into the State Department's Children's Passport Issuance Alert Program. You'll then be alerted should someone try to get a passport for your child.
6. Keep a record of information pertaining to your ex, like his or her social security number and relatives' phone numbers or addresses.

Tips & Warnings

• Take photographs and/or videos of your child at least every six months. The pictures should show a full-face shot and should be in color. This could be useful if the child is abducted.
• Keep a written description of your child and keep it updated. Make sure you include weight, height, birthmarks and other pertinent info.
• You can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for more information and help, should your child be abducted or you fear abduction, at 1-800-843-5678.
• Make copies of the custody and limited travel info for your child's school, and give them a list of people who are allowed to contact your child at school and those that aren't.
• In America, it's the law that both parents must sign passport papers for children under 14.
• If your ex-mate has serious connections with another country, send a copy of any decrees to the Consulate or Embassy and a written request not to issue a passport. Be sure you include all relevant paperwork.
• Some foreign countries do not require a passport for entry.

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