When a child of U.S. citizenship is abducted outside of the country, the State Department’s Office of Children’s Issues works with U.S. embassies and foreign authorities to assist the child and custodial parent. However, child custody disputes are private legal matters between two parents and the Department of State has no jurisdiction. If a child custody dispute cannot be settled, it often must be resolved by judicial proceedings in the country where the child is located. The State Department can assist parents in filing an application with foreign authorities and monitoring judicial or administrative proceedings for the return of the child.