It is certainly a sign of the times that USA passports for children are being harder to get but this really isn’t all bad. The numbers of children who are being abducted by parents is on the rise as is the divorce rate in homes with children. Passports can actually be used as a tool to create division between a parent and a child so in a difficult divorce, passports can become weapons. A law has been created to protect both parents as well as the child when child support is withheld and yet a costly vacation is planned.

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 a welcome when.

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.

As you can see, several agencies and programs have been put into place to aid in the protection of children and their parents when it comes to the acquisition of passports for children. Perhaps these laws will lead to other legislation to help enforce the payment of court ordered child support making it harder for the neglectful payer to leave town or even the country.

Learn more about the requirements for getting US passport at USPassportNow.com.

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