Massachusetts

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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.

Massachusetts Missing Children’s Clearinghouse
Commonwealth Fusion Center
124 Acton Street
Maynard, MA 01754
Phone: 978-451-3728 or 800-622-5999 
Email: MMCC@pol.state.ma.us
http://www.mass.gov/eopss/law-enforce-and-cj/law-enforce/missing-and-wanted/mmcc/

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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
FBI Boston
Suite 600
One Center Plaza
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: 617-742-5533
http://www.fbi.gov/boston/

State Patrol
Massachusetts State Police
Phone: 508-820-2300
http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/msp/#.UolpMfnHSZ4

Department of Public Safety
Massachusetts Department of Public Safety
Phone: 617-727-3200
http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/dps/

Department of Transportation
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Phone: (857) 368-4636, 877-623-6846, or 857-368-0655
https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-department-of-transportation

Port Authorities

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Association 
http://www.mbta.com/ 
Transit Police Department 
Phone: 617-222-1000 or 617-222-1200 
Emergency phone: 617-222-1212 
Office of the Chief: 617-222-1100 
http://www.mbta.com/transitpolice/contact_us/

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.

MassLegal Services-Family Law Practice Area
https://www.masslegalservices.org/

General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
http://www.mass.gov/legis/

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Phone: 617-557-1000
http://www.mass.gov/courts/sjc/

Massachusetts Bar Association
Phone: 617-338-0500
http://www.massbar.org/

Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General
http://www.mass.gov/ago/

Locator Service
Child Support Enforcement Division
Massachusetts Department of Revenue
Phone: 800-332-2733 or local 617-660-1234
http://www.mass.gov/dor/child-support/

Compensation Program For Crime Victims
Massachusetts Office of Victim Assistance
1 Ashburton Place, Suite 1101,
Boston MA 02108
Phone: 617-586-1340
https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-office-for-victim-assistance 

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Resources for State Statutes

Reason to Contact:
The resource below may help you determine your state custody laws and if your state 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 15, 2024