Effects of International Parental Child Abduction on Abducted Children and Left-Behind Parents

Summary

Through this cooperative agreement, the Office of Children’s Issues seeks to fund one research study whose goal is to better understand how international parental child abduction (IPCA) affects abducted children and their left-behind parents in order to better support impacted individuals, their families, and their communities in the United States. The study objectives are: 1) identify short- and long-term effects of IPCA on abducted children and left-behind parents across multiple domains (including psychological/mental health, child development, child welfare, economics/finance, social and community factors, legal, law enforcement and other governmental systems); 2) identify gaps in support for children and left-behind parents impacted by IPCA in the United States; and 3) recommend solutions to the identified gaps in support in the United States.