Travel Tips

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, pasports 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, it completely outlines how a parent owing more than $2500 in child support is not able to receive a passport. So many parents in the United States struggle with getting child support payments, so it’s no surprise that this is the number one reason that keeps people from getting passports. This law is a dramatic stride towards enforcing child support payments.

If a parent wants to purchase a passport but owes child support, they must first contact the local county probation agency and arrange to make payment. Before the passport process can proceed, the US Department of Health and Human Services must receive proof from the State Child Support Enforcement Agency proving that acceptable payment has been made. The Department of Health and Human Services then advises the Department of State to remove the payer from its list of those prohibited from receiving a passport and the Department of State updates its list accordingly.

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.

Learn more about the requirements for getting US passport at US Passport Now.

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