iStand 2019: Hope On the Horizon

All parents and guests should meet at the back of the Capitol at 8:30 AM EDT to prepare for pre-arranged Constituent Calls and meetings with key House and Senate staffers for personal cases and cause-related advocacy.  iStand Parent Network is coordinating with each attendee to schedule meetings in advance.


 

This event is by invitation only. All attendees must be registered conference participants and have a valid, government-issued form of identification. 

Join fellow parents, returned children, members of Congress, congressional staff and the Coalition to End International Parental Child Abduction for our 2019 Congressional Briefing:

Congress United for Action: Strive to Return America's Stolen Children. 

Congress United  is bipartisan event to educate and empower members of Congress to act for American children and to connect parent-constituents with key congressional actors for their children's cases and for the cause to prevent and end IPCA.

After remarks from our Congressional guests, leadership from the Coalition will share the historical arc of IPCA legislation and federal implementation and underscore the unifying potential for Congress to rally around America's stolen children.
 

Wednesday's Constituent Calls and Congressional Briefing  were excellent opportunities to amplify  our cause on Capitol Hill. However, veteran advocates know the real  reform work occurs when parents return home.  We must keep up the pressure on elected officials, federal agencies and  other stakeholders for long-term, meaningful reform.  Bring Abducted Children Home Executive Director Jeffery Morehouse, Mochi's father and a  longtime advocate will share strategies for keeping the momentum going after we all go home. 

Preventing International Parental Child Abduction requires a multifaceted, collaborative approach among an array of stakeholders. This session features a panel of agency officials and advocates discussing promising prevention legislation in statehouses,  prevention initiatives in federal agencies and NGOs, and public education strategies to keep children safe from International Parental Child Abduction.

The iStand Awards are our opportunity to honor those who give of themselves in service to the cause to Prevent and End International Parental Child Abduction.  A deli-style lunch will be served.  

This interactive session asks parents to recall their initial and ongoing experiences working with local law enforcement to prevent a child's abduction and seek response for their return.

After inviting feedback , Dr. Hunter will engage participants in building a realistic framework for educating law enforcement as a real-life complement and supplement to a recently updated Law Enforcement Guide on International Parental Kidnapping.

https://www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/250606.pdf