Attorney General Tim Griffin has announced a collaborative effort to protect children in Arkansas.
“I announced the launch of the Arkansas Child ID Program, which will help law enforcement identify children when they go missing. This program is being launched in partnership with the National Child ID Program, the Walmart Foundation and the AEP Foundation," said Griffin.
The program consists of distributing child ID kits to families of first-graders throughout the state through sheriff’s offices and schools. Families can then complete the kits and have them on hand should a child in their care ever go missing. By having identifying information readily on hand, families will be able to share the kits with law enforcement, thereby cutting down on time that investigators would have to collect such information.
“The terror and grief felt by parents and caregivers when a child goes missing can be crippling. These ID kits can help give law enforcement clarity in an otherwise chaotic situation. I am proud to be part of this effort to keep Arkansas children safe while also supporting our law enforcement partners," said Griffin.
Each kit includes an inkless fingerprinting kit, a DNA sample collection, physical identification information, location of medical records, a place for a recent photo, and easy-to-use instructions. The kits will be delivered to each school through its local sheriff’s office.
"In football and in parenting, playing defense is all about preparation,” Singletary said. “It’s important to be prepared, not scared. Parents need to be prepared for what seems impossible. One thousand children go missing every day, it is not impossible. This inkless Child ID Kit being provided by Attorney General Griffin is a gamechanger for parents. It provides parents with proactive tools to be prepared for the impossible, and to keep their child’s vital information at home in case of an emergency," said National Child ID Program Hall of Fame Ambassador Mike Singletary, member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
On average, 1,000 children go missing in the United States every day. When a child goes missing, time is of the essence and these ID kits allow parents to provide up to 90% of information needed by law enforcement to begin looking for the child. The Child ID kits will be provided at no cost to Arkansas families as part of a private-public partnership with the National Child ID Program.
Kits should be completed by parents and stored in a safe place at home. The information does not enter a database.
Republished courtesy of AG Tim Griffin