NEBRASKA Part 39

CHILD SNATCHING

Problems sometimes occur when one parent takes a child to another state and refuses to return. Many states, including Nebraska, have adopted the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act. One of the reasons this Act was adopted was to keep a parent from taking a child to another state and then getting a custody order in the new state. The Act sets forth rules about which state has jurisdiction, or power, to decide custody matters. In the majority of cases, the Act keeps jurisdiction in the state where the child has the closest ties. A child usually has the closest ties to the state where he/she has been residing for the last 6 months, and this is called the "home state." If custody has already been decided, that is, if you already have a court order awarding custody to you, and the other parent snatches the child, this may be a crime. If this happens, you should contact law enforcement.