Child Identification Kits

Programs that provide instructions and materials which help parents assemble information about their children that can be used to identify them should they run away, become lost, be abducted or become victims of violent crime. The kits usually contain a current photograph of the child (taken annually), a written description of the child (e.g., full name, address, date of birth, gender, height, weight, identifying marks, glasses, braces), a set of the child's fingerprints, a lock of the child's hair, and a copy of the child's medical and dental records. The kits may also contain a blood or tissue sample for DNA analysis and/or a videotape of the child, are kept in a safe place and are turned over to law enforcement personnel when necessary. Some programs also include abduction prevention information and instructions that parents can follow should their child become missing.