Passports For Children And Child Support - An Issue Of Wellbeing

Nothing is more important to a parent than the safety and wellbeing of their child and this is one of the reasons the government has instituted regulations concerning the issuance of passports to children.  While there is an added difficulty, this is also a benefit when you consider the number of children abducted by parents as well as the increased divorce rate amount parents of children. In the past, passports have actually been used to create division between a parent and a child and in messy divorces, used as a threatening weapon.  When a parent has neglected to pay court ordered child support and yet attempt to acquire a passport for their child, the process comes to a quick halt, thanks to new regulations.

In Section 51.70 (a) (8) of Title 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations, a parent who has been ordered to pay child support but is negligent to the tune of $2500 or more, application for the child’s passport will be withheld until restitution is made.  With the number of single moms and dads struggling to support their children because child support payments are not being made, this regulation is certainly welcome.

When a parent who attempts to apply for a passport for their child is found on the list of those who are neglecting to pay their child support, they are referred to their local county probation agency and must arrange to make payment.  No further action will be taking regarding the acquisition of the child’s passport until the US Department of Health and Human Services receives proof that payment has been made.  They, in turn, notify the State Child Support Enforcement Agency that payment has been made and they, in turn, notify the Department of State who remove the payer’s and their child’s name from the list of those to have passports withheld.

This is not the only regulation that has been put into place in an attempt to protect children and parents when it comes to the purchase of a child’s passport.  In 2008, the Two Parent Consent Law become law and requires the consent of each parent before a passport for a child can be issued.  The children’s Passport Issuance Alert Program or CPIAP is another organization dedicated to the notification of parents or guardians when a passport is requested for a child.  Even those in foreign countries can be alerted through the Office of Children’s Issues whose mission is to locate parents who unlawfully abduct their children.

It must now be obvious to you that many agencies and programs are available to aid in the protection of children getting passports.  It is certainly the hope of these agencies that their diligence and concern for the welfare of both children and their parents will lead to additional safeguards enacted to accomplish this goal.  Getting a child’s passport might be a little more difficult these days but it’s a good thing when it adds another layer of protection to the child as well as the parent.

For more information about whether you are eligible for get a US passport, visit www.uspassportnow.com.