Florida Statutes Section 61.45 was recently amended to create the “Child Abduction Prevention Act.”  This Act is beneficial when there is a concern about the risk of removal of a child from the state or country in violation of a parenting plan.

This section includes new preventative and risk factors for the court’s consideration, as well as relief that may be ordered and additional civil/criminal penalties that may result from violation of this section.

Further, if a parent is concerned that the other parent may abduct a child, a great resource is the Department of State website under child abduction.  There is a Child Passport Issuance Alert Program (CPIAP).

The Children’s Passport Issuance Alert Program (CPIAP) allows parents to register their U.S. citizen children under the age of 18 in the Department’s Passport Lookout System.  If a passport application is submitted for a child who is registered in CPIAP, the Department contacts and alerts the parent(s) or guardian(s). The system provides all U.S. passport agencies, as well as U.S. Embassies and Consulates, abroad an alert on a child’s name if a parent or guardian registers an objection to passport issuance for his or her child.  This procedure provides parents advance warning of possible plans for international travel with a child.

Go to the following website to find out more and/or sign up your child(ren) for this program: http://travel.state.gov/abduction/prevention/passportissuanc/passportissuance_554.html:

A court can also order a parent to register with this program sua sponte (on its own accord) or upon motion by a party.