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Description
This project concerns the right of children to see both parents, and defense against parental child abduction. In 2018, harmful legislative amendments were passed preventing police from conducting a search, and parents from reporting child abduction. Unfortunately, courts are ineffective and tardy, and often there is no way of enforcing rulings. Meanwhile, statistics show an increase in the number of reported parental child abductions. The situation is especially difficult during a pandemic - social isolation has become a means of cutting a child off from one of the parents. At the same time, there is very little free family mediation available, and the parties in dispute see mediation as unnecessary and ineffective. The Project Promoter will create a nationwide, remote Support and Mediation Center to help conflicted families and children at risk of child abduction. Before the Center is created, the Project Promoter will conduct comparative analysis of the Polish and Norwegian systems to implement the most suitable solution. In the Center itself, not only mediation, but also watchdog, emergency call, and awareness measures will be conducted to raise public awareness of parents and guardians (for example a social campaign as part of International Mediation Week and a parental child abduction handbook). An international conference on parental child abduction for people in the police, social welfare institutions, and courts will be a major element of the project. The project will improve parents’ awareness of a child’s right to see both parents and the consequences of parent alienation. Parents and children (approximately 250 people) will be given real support in conflict resolution, while respecting a child’s rights and wishes. Professionals working with families during a guardianship crisis will improve their competencies regarding supporting conflicted parents and their children.
Summary of project results
The project concerned respecting children''s rights to contact with both parents and protection from parental kidnapping. In 2018, there have been unfavorable legal changes that make it impossible for the police to act in search operations, and for parents to file a child abduction notice. Unfortunately, the courts act ineptly and tardily, and the rulings issued are often impossible to enforce. Statistics, in turn, show an increasing number of reported parental kidnappings. The situation was particularly difficult during the pandemic - social isolation became a tool for cutting a child off from one parent. Meanwhile, the offer of free family mediation is modest, and mediation itself is sometimes seen by conflicting parties as unnecessary and ineffective.
As part of the project, the Project Promoter created a nationwide remote Support and Mediation Center for families at risk of parental abduction situations. Before establishing the Center, the Project Promoter conducted a comparative analysis of the Polish and Norwegian systems. The Center conducted not only mediation, but also watchdog, intervention and educational activities to raise awareness among parents, guardians and caregivers. The Project Promoter published two guides on parental kidnapping (legal and psychological). An important element of the project was an international conference on parental kidnapping for those working in the police, social welfare institutions, courts - entitled "Psychological, legal support and mediation as an effective tool in the fight for the welfare and rights of the child."
Thanks to the project, parents'' awareness of their child''s rights to contact with both parents and the consequences to which parental alienation leads has increased. Nearly 300 people received real support in resolving conflicts while respecting the rights and wishes of children. Those working with families in custodial crisis improved their competence in supporting conflicted parents and their children.