Single parents need to know the law about taking their kids on holiday

This summer, the Foreign Office is warning singles parents about taking their kids on holiday abroad without informing the other parent first. If you are a single parent, you need the consent of the other parent before you take your child abroad.

Sometimes single parents claim they are taking their children on holiday in the UK, but in actual fact they are taking them overseas, and some never return.

In other cases, single parents take their kids on holiday abroad without even knowing that they are supposed to inform the other parent. Such people are oblivious to the fact that they are committing an abduction offence under UK law. Research has shown that one in three didn't know that it was an offence.

Families that break up while they are living abroad also might commit abduction if one parent decides to return to the UK with the children without the other parent's permission.

The increase in child abductions to non-Hague countries has increased, and the FCO's Child Abduction Section dealt with over 200 cases between April 2009 and March 2010. Child abduction cases rise during the summer months.

If you are a single parent and you are worried that your ex-husband or wife has taken your kids on holiday without your consent, then you could seek legal advice. Cases that involve children being moved permanently abroad are much more serious.

For further help and advice, you can contact the Child Abduction Section at the Foreign Office on 0207 008 0878. Or call the Reunite International Child Abduction Centre on 0116 2556 234.

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