22 U.S.C. § 9009 — Office of Children’s Issues

(a) Director requirements. The Secretary of State^* must fill the Director position in the Department of State's Office of Children's Issues (the "Office") with a senior-ranking individual who can provide long-term continuity in the Office's management and policy work and has a strong background in consular affairs.
(b) Case officer staffing. Starting April 1, 2000, the Office must have enough case officers so that each officer's average caseload is no more than 75.
(c) Embassy contact. The Secretary must designate an employee at each U.S. diplomatic mission as the contact for international abductions of children by parents. The Director must regularly tell that employee about children of U.S. citizens who were abducted by parents to that country.
(d) Reports to parents. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), beginning six months after November 29, 1999, and at least every six months afterward, the Secretary must report to each parent who requested help about a child abducted overseas. The report must state the case's current status and the Department's efforts to resolve it. (2) This duty does not apply if (A) the case is closed and the Secretary has told the requesting parent why it was closed, or (B) the requesting parent asks not to receive the reports.