OUR WORK / International Child Abduction

iCare2 (Improving Cross-Border Access to Mediation for Families in Conflict) is an EU-funded initiative coordinated by Defence for Children International – Italy, in partnership with Missing Children Europe, the Law and Internet Foundation (Bulgaria), Droit d’Enfance (France), Adam Mickiewicz University (Poland), and the Polish NGO ITAKA.

This project addresses the challenges families face when involved in cross-border family disputes, particularly cases of international child abduction. These situations are often emotionally and legally complex, placing significant strain on both parents and children—who are frequently caught in the middle of legal battles between countries.

While legal frameworks such as the Hague Convention provide mechanisms for the return of abducted children, judicial proceedings can be lengthy, adversarial, and emotionally taxing. Mediation offers a more cooperative, child-focused approach—but access to it across borders remains uneven, fragmented, and often poorly understood by families and professionals.

iCare2 aims to close this gap by improving access to safe, high-quality cross-border family mediation in Europe.

Project Timeline: February 2023 – January 2025

Project Objectives 

• Establish Pre-Mediation Desks: Launch and operate pre-mediation support services in four countries (Italy, Poland, Bulgaria, France) to provide families with early guidance, initial assessments, and referrals to trained mediators.
• Raise Awareness: Promote a culture of mediation among parents, authorities, and professionals through multilingual outreach and public awareness campaigns.
• Training and Capacity Building: Equip legal professionals, social workers, and mediators with the skills needed to handle international family disputes through specialised training on child-sensitive, cross-border mediation.
• Promote Child Participation: Develop child-friendly tools and approaches that ensure children’s voices are heard and considered throughout the mediation process.
• Strengthen Collaboration: Facilitate cooperation among Central Authorities, judges, lawyers, and mediation experts to ensure consistent, coordinated responses across borders.
• Advocate for Structural Change: Identify legal and institutional gaps and promote policy recommendations to embed mediation in national and EU-level responses to international child abduction.