Delaware

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State Clearinghouse on Missing Children

Reason to Contact:
A state clearinghouse is usually run by law enforcement. It provides help in cases of parental child abduction. For abductions from another country to the United States, they can help locate a child. For abductions from the United States to another country, they can help parents in filing missing person reports.  

Delaware State Police
State Bureau of Identification
1407 N. DuPont Hwy.
Dover, DE  19903
Phone: 302-739-5883
http://www.state.de.us/dsp/

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Law Enforcement

Reason to Contact:
Contact your local police to file a missing person's report. Ask them to enter your child's name into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database. 

FBI Field Office
Delaware is under the purview of FBI Baltimore

FBI Baltimore
2600 Lord Baltimore Drive
Baltimore, MD 21244
Phone: 410-265-8080
E-mail: Baltimore@ic.fbi.gov
http://www.fbi.gov/baltimore/

State Patrol
Delaware State Police
Phone: 302-739-5901
http://dsp.delaware.gov/

Department of Public Safety
Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security
Phone: 302-744-2680
http://dshs.delaware.gov/

Department of Transportation
Delaware Department of Transportation
Phone: 302-760-2080 or 800-652-5600 
http://www.deldot.gov/

Nationwide resources:
Taking a child from the United States, or attempting to, is a federal crime. So is keeping a child outside of the United States to block parental rights. These acts are crimes under the International Parental Kidnapping Crime Act (18 U.S.C. 1204). The FBI has jurisdictional authority to investigate federal crimes. If you have questions or believe someone has abducted your child outside of the United States or is planning to do so, contact a FBI field office in the United States. To find the FBI field office nearest to you, use this link: http://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field

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Prevention

Reason to Contact:
If you know your child is being taken to the airport as part of possible abduction, contact the airport for help.  You should have copies of all custody and legal documents ready to send by email or fax, if needed. You can contact the State Department’s Office of Children’s Issues to assist you with this process.  You can reach them at PreventAbduction@state.gov or by calling 888-407-4747.  

 

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Legal Assistance

Reason to Contact:
If you are involved in an international parental child abduction case in the United States or abroad, a legal aid group may be able to help you with your legal representation. Legal aid organizations provide free legal help or help at a low cost to eligible individuals. Eligibility is mainly based on income and resource limits. There are also rules on the types of cases they will take. 

For information about legal aid and other legal referral resources, visit

Follow the prompts for the particular state in which you are seeking legal services.

Delaware Department of Justice
http://attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/

Family Law Commission
Phone: 302-744-4039
http://flc.delaware.gov/

Delaware State Courts
http://courts.delaware.gov/

Delaware Supreme Court
http://courts.delaware.gov/Courts/Supreme%20Court/

Family Court of Delaware
http://courts.delaware.gov/Courts/Family%20Court/

Self-Help
http://courts.delaware.gov/How%20To/

Delaware State Bar Association
Phone: 302- 658-5279
Phone: 800-292-7869 (from Kent & Sussex Counties)
http://www.dsba.org/

Locator Service
Service Division of Child Support Enforcement
Delaware Health and Social Services
84A Christiana Road
New Castle, DE 19720-3118
Phone: 302-395-6500
http://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dcse/

Compensation Program for Crime Victims
Victims’ Compensation Assistance Program
900 N. King Street, Suite 4
Wilmington, DE 19801
Phone: 302-255-1770 or 800-464-4357 
http://attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/VCAP/

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Resource for State Statutes

Reason to Contact:
The resource below may help you determine your state custody laws and if your stats has laws on abduction prevention.  You may also want to consult the Attorney General’s Office website of your state or contact an attorney licensed to practice law in your state.  (Please note: the resource below may not be current and may change at any time. This resource is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.  

Non-Profit Organization:

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
333 John Carlyle Street, Suite 125
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 703-224-2150
www.missingkids.org   

Last Updated: April 4, 2024