Summary: The State Department estimates that about 1,000 children are abducted each year from the United States by one of their parents. Shortcomings in the federal response to these abductions have posed obstacles to left-behind parents in their attempts to locate and return their children. The following four issues have received substantial attention: (1) gaps in federal services to left-behind parents; (2) weaknesses within the existing State Department case-tracking process, which hinder case and program coordination; (3) the lack of systematic and aggressive diplomatic efforts to improve international responses to parental child abductions; and (4) the limited use of the International Parental Kidnapping Crime Act of 1993 to pursue abducting parents and bring them to justice. The State and Justice Departments have issued recommendations, which they believe will address most of the problems. However, several shortcomings raise questions about the likelihood that the recommendations will be put in place.
