TRAVEL/REUNIFICATION PROGRAM

OUR GOAL IS TO REUNITE FAMILIES

On October 2, 1991 the Honourable Kim Campbell, then-Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and the Honourable Doug Lewis, then-Solicitor General of Canada announced the inception of the Travel Initiative, designed to assist in the recovery of abducted children.

This program is designed to assist a parent or a legal guardian who cannot afford to return the abducted child to or within Canada, once the child is located. Air Canada and Via Rail have generously agreed to provide transportation when required. The Travel/Reunification program would not be possible without corporate sponsorship.

In order to be eligible for travel assistance, the following guidelines must be met.

1. The request for transportation must come from the investigating Police Agency or the Central Authority from the child's home province
   • a law enforcement agency investigating a parental child abduction complaint;
   • a representative of a Canadian Central Authority pursuant to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction; or
   • an agency designated by RCMP National Missing Children Services.
   
   
2. The requesting agency is responsible for assessing the financial status of the family and determining if transportation should be provided. (For example: whether the requesting parent's financial circumstances would make paying for the child and/or parent's transportation prohibitive).
   
   
3. Assistance will be limited to parental child abduction situations, including situations where the child is in the care of a private guardian or abducted by a private guardian.
   
   
4. Assistance will be provided to transport:
   • in the case of older abducted children, home; and
   • in the case of younger children, enable the left behind parent or legal guardian to travel to the jurisdiction where the child is and return home.
   
   
5. In some cases, it may be appropriate for a person other than the left behind parent or legal guardian to retrieve the child and accompany the child home.
   
   
6. If the left behind parent is travelling to retrieve the child, the requesting authority must make every reasonable effort to confirm/ensure that the parent will be able to obtain legal physical custody of the child. For example, consideration should be given to whether a return order is pending or under appeal, the child's whereabouts are known, there are legal impediments to the child's removal, etc.
   
   
7. The requesting agency must ensure that the parent or legal guardian has all the necessary documents in order to retrieve the child. For example: child's birth certificate; custody order; passport and any other necessary travel documents.
   
   
8. Assistance will not be provided to transport the abductor, even if he or she is the person able to accompany the child home.

Arrangements will only be initiated once confirmation has been received that the child can be removed legally and is in custody of local authorities. The parent or legal guardian must be able to obtain legal physical custody of the child upon arrival.

All requests must be faxed to the NCO i/c National Missing Children Services at (613) 993 5430, or sent directly via mail.

NOTE: National Missing Children Services (NMCS), will not reimburse parents who have made prior flight arrangements. All arrangements must be made through NMCS.