Monday, August 27, 2012

A Child's Hero

                                                           
Targeted Parents Are Heroes Of International Child Abduction


Parents of children who are internationally kidnapped by the child's other parent face an incredible number of hardships that can best be described as 'The World Turned Upside Down'.  Unquestionably, they live in a world where most everything that deals with the recovery of their abducted child makes no sense.

Neverhteless, and despite the cruelist of circumstances and near unimaginable realities, they push on in hope that one day they will reunite with their victimized, abused child. Why? Because they love their child and regardless of the hardships they face, they will do most anything to reunite and safely bring them home.

Without quesiton, they are heroes to their children, even if, duirng the time of their child's abduction, the stolen child may not realize the incredible acts of and determination their targeted parents put forth and must indure.

But they do.

And they do because of the most powerful emotion of all: love.

As a parent who formerly raced into the storms of abduction and in my role as a board member of the I CARE Foundation, I have come to befriend many chasing parents who search for their children.

I have come to know some of the most remarkable men and women in the world. And in my eyes, they are heroes.

Why?

Because their committment to their children powered by love is what is right about the world.



The I CARE Foundation


The not-for-profit I CARE Foundation has gradually become a visible stakeholder in the world of international parental child abduction prevention and reunification with a large and growing list of impressive accomplishments.  The Foundation's Board of Directors and Advisory Board are made up of some of the most dedicated volunteer child advocates imaginable. They give of their full resources at levels that are unheard of. Remarkably, the efforts of the I CARE Foundation's Board have not been in vain: there are many children from all around the world who today are either back home after previously being internationally parentally kidnapped, or, they remained at home because the plan to internationally abduct them was prevented, in great part due to the action of the I CARE Foundation.


The accomplishments of the I CARE Foundation include assisting in numerous LEGAL international child abduction recoveries and reunification, heavily participated in exponentially more successful acts to prevent abduction from occurring, our ongoing groundbreaking research in the area of international child abduction and trafficking has provided new, accurate, and insightful information as to the severity of the global epidemic society as a whole has before it, our comprehensive and expansive reporting of our research findings has led other stakeholders to protect numerous children from abduction while allowing us to significantly advance our legislative initiatives, some of which have either already become law or agency policy, while legislative initiatives are moving forward in a manner we could hope for.  Additionally, we continue to build a national network of pro bono lawyers who participate in the U.S. Department of State's 'Hague Convention Attorney Network', while nearing completion for the first-ever international child abduction case law data base. 


Legislative Initiatives:

Today, there is a significant chance to help children targeted for abduction.

1. Modify the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative so all individuals traveling abroad must present a valid passport regardless age and type of travel.


2. Create a secure screening list for individuals determined by courts or law enforcement as high-risk child abductors who posses a right to U.S. citizenship similar to the existing Prevent Departure Program that only applies to individuals who do not posses a right of American citizenship.

So if your really interested in assisting, on behalf of the I CARE Foundation, we would welcome your assistance. All you need to do is send an email to mediarelations@stopchildabduction.org.