International Child Abduction Respondents Scheme Guidelines

We administer the International Child Abduction Respondents Scheme (ICARS) under these guidelines. 

ICARS provides legal financial assistance for parents responding to a 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction return application made in an Australian court.

The guidelines address the following topics:

• ICARS processes
• About the grant program
• Grant amount and grant period
• Eligibility criteria
• What the grant money can be used for
• The assessment criteria
• How to apply
• The grant selection process
• Notification of application outcomes
• Successful grant applications
• Announcement of grants
• How we monitor your grant activity
• Probity
• Glossary