Developing Child Focused Standards in Response to Parental Child Abduction and its Prevention
Terms and Definitions
Learning about IPCA involves using many new terms and legal definitions. RUSH is not a legal resource, but may offer some "ah hah!" for those new to the lingo.
01
IPCA
IPCA stands for International Parental Child Abduction. It occurs when one parent or guardian takes their child from his/her home country without the permission of the other parent or guardian, or without the authorization of a court.
02
LBP
LBP stands for Left-behind Parent. There is no official definition of this term, but, as it indicates, it refers to the parent who is left-behind after the taking parent has abducted their children. Some parents prefer the term "seeking parent" instead of "left-behind parent" as the label is less victimizing.
03
The Hague Convention
The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of Child Abduction is often referred to as "the Hague" or "the Convention." It will always come up in conversations with politicians and U.S. government entities.
04
The Goldman Act/HR 3212
U.S. law HR 3212, The Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act is often referred to as "The Goldman Act" or "HR 3212." This legislation was signed into law in August 2014 and provides the U.S. Department of State unprecedented authority to advocate with foreign nations on behalf of illegally abducted U.S. children and their left-behind parents.
05
NCIC
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Crime Information Center (NCIC) is an electronic repository of data on crimes and criminals of nationwide interest and a locator file for missing and unidentified persons. NCIC helps law enforcement locate missing children by making information on the child instantly available to law enforcement agencies across the country. [The National Child Search Assistance Act of 1990 requires states to ensure that law enforcement agencies do not impose a waiting period before accepting reports of missing children and that they immediately enter information on the missing child into the state’s law enforcement database and NCIC. The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (Adam Walsh Act) amended the National Child Search Assistance Act by establishing a 2-hour entry requirement for all missing children reports into NCIC.]