Whom to Contact?

Australia

Emergency number: 000

Central Authority

COMMONWEALTH

Department of Social Services
GPO Box 9820
Canberra ACT 2601
Australia
Tel.: +61 2 6146 0001
Email: icaprograms@dss.gov.au
Web: dss.gov.au/intercountryadoption

NEW SOUTH WALES

Adoption and Permanency Services
Open Adoption Records Access
Department of Communities and Justice
Locked Bag 5000
Parramatta NSW 2124
Australia
Tel.: +61 2 9716 3003
Email: intercountryadoption@facs.nsw.gov.au
Web: facs.nsw.gov.au

VICTORIA

Adoption Victoria
Courts, Civil and Criminal Law
Department of Justice and Community Safety
PO BOX 588
Collins St West
Melbourne VIC 3003
Fax: +61 3 8608 5760
Email: adoptionsvic@justice.vic.gov.au
Web: justice.vic.gov.au/adopt-a-child-from-overseas-0

QUEENSLAND

Adoption and Permanent Care Services
Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services
Locked Bag 3405
Brisbane QLD 4001
Australia
Tel.: +61 7 3097 5100 / 1800 647 983
Fax: +61 7 3097 5101
Email: ads@cyjma.qld.gov.au
Web: dcssds.qld.gov.au

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Adoption Services
Department of Communities
Locked Bag 5000
Fremantle WA 6160
Australia
Tel.: 1800 182 178
Fax: +61 8 9385 1920
Email: adoptions@communities.wa.gov.au
Web: dcp.wa.gov.au/FosteringandAdoption/AdoptionAndHomeForLife/Pages/AdoptionAndPermanentCare.aspx

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Adoption Services
Department for Child Protection
GPO Box 1072
Adelaide SA 5001
Australia
Tel.: 1800 512 355
Email: adoptions@sa.gov.au
Web: childprotection.sa.gov.au/adoption

TASMANIA

Adoption and Permanency Services
Department for Education, Children and Young People
GPO Box 538
Hobart TAS 7001
Australia
Tel.: +61 3 6166 0422
Email: adoption.service@decyp.tas.gov.au
Web: decyp.tas.gov.au/children/adoptions-and-permanency-services/

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

Assessment and Support Unit – Adoptions Team
Child and Youth Protection Services
GPO Box 158
Canberra ACT 2601
Australia
Tel.: +61 2 6207 1069
Fax: +61 2 6207 1020
Email: adoptions@act.gov.au
Web: communityservices.act.gov.au/ocyfs/children/adoptions/adopting-a-child-from-overseas

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Adoption Unit
Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities
PO Box 37037
Winnellie NT 0820
Australia
Tel.: +61 (8) 8922 5519
Email: TFHC.Adoptions@nt.gov.au
Web: nt.gov.au/community/child-protection-and-care/adoption


Europe

Disappearing Children – 116 000

Child protection hotline for families of missing or abducted children.

Phone: 116 000, free, available 24/7.

Available in: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, United Kingdom, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland.

Contact form: 116000enfantsdisparus.fr/nous-contacter.html

European emergency number: 112


Poland

Emergency number: 112

Central Authority

Ministerstwo Sprawiedliwości / Ministry of Justice
Departament Spraw Rodzinnych i Nieletnich / Department of Family and Juvenile Matters
Wydział Międzynarodowych Postępowań Rodzinnych / Division of International Proceedings in Family Matters
Al. Ujazdowskie 11
00-950 Warsaw
P.O. Box 33
Poland
Tel.: +48 (22) 23 90 470
Fax: +48 (22) 879 03 21
Email: Polandchildabduction@ms.gov.pl

ITAKA – Center for Missing Persons

skr. poczt. 127
00-958 Warsaw 66
Poland
Tel.: +48 (22) 654 70 70 / +48 801 24 70 70
Fax: +48 (22) 654 79 73
Email: itaka@itaka.org.pl
Website: zaginieni.pl

There is a specialized department for child abductions.


United Kingdom

Emergency number: 999 or 112

Ministry of Justice

102 Petty France
London SW1H 9AJ
United Kingdom
Tel.: +44 20 3334 3555

London Police Service

601 Dundas Street
London ON N6B 1X1
Tel.: +44 519 661 5670


United States

Emergency number: 911

U.S. Department of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
Tel.: 202-353-1555

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

Website: missingkids.org/HOME
Tel.: 1-800-843-5678


Canada

Emergency number: 911

Consular Unit for Vulnerable Children

Consular Services
Global Affairs Canada
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2
Toll-free phone number from Canada: 1-800-387-3124
International collect phone number: +1-613-996-8885
Fax: 613-944-1078

Passport Canada

Tel.: 1-800-567-6868

Federal Government

Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada represented by:

Legal Services Unit (JUS)
Global Affairs Canada
125 Sussex Drive, Tower C, 6th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2
Tel.: +1 (343) 203 1781
Fax: +1 (613) 944 0722

Contact person:
Veronique Gervais
Counsel and Federal Representative for the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction
Tel.: +1 (343) 203 1781
Email: veronique.gervais@international.gc.ca


Legal Practice / Poland

Elżbieta Bansleben – Legal Practice/Services
Armii Krajowej 116/18
81-844 Sopot
Poland
Tel.: +48 58 717 51 08
Mobile: +48 667 487 7
Email: kancelaria@adwokaci-sopot.pl
Website: bansleben.pl/en/

The firm assists families facing the illicit transfer of children abroad by one of the parents, as well as the implementation and enforcement of international visitation rights.

Elżbieta Bansleben has over 20 years’ experience in the field and has gained a proven track record in representing clients, both Polish citizens and citizens of signatory states to the Hague Convention, in collaboration with international legal specialists working within the framework of the Convention.

The purpose of this Convention is:

(a) to secure the prompt return of children wrongfully removed or retained in any signatory state;

(b) to effectively enforce in the other signatory states the rights of custody and visitation existing in a state that is signatory to the Convention.

Article 1 of the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980