Child Identification Aids in Finding Family Members

Having proper child identification is another piece of advice that any law enforcement official will recommend. The FBI has reported more frequent statistics of lost children, averaging 2000 reports per day. Crimes against children are on the rise, and being able to provide current descriptions will assist in finding them faster.
Children are reported missing for a number of reasons - being late, runaway, or for potentially dangerous situations. Children can also become separated from their parents or guardian on trips, especially in areas that are unfamiliar to everyone involved. Current child identification should provide the following information:
• Current head shot
• Contact information such as phone and address
• Information for emergency contacts, including parents or guardians
• Fingerprint identification
• Important medical conditions or other information
A wallet sized laminated ID card is one of the most common forms of child identification. Many child ID programs assist in taking electronic fingerprints, giving a clearing form to work with. All of this information can be easily stored on a CD-ROM that can accessed quickly by law enforcement officials. Unfortunately parents cannot always be counted on to provide the most up to date information, and a child ID program creates an easy system to make the cards, especially for those with little computer savvy.
Child identification should be implemented at a young age, starting from when the baby is a few months old. This new habit will be one that a parent is more likely to stick with annually. The fingerprints are very important to include, since they are the one thing that will not change as the child ages. This makes it easier to follow the information provided about the child.
Parents should look for a kit that takes all 10 fingerprints rather than just one. Having all 10 fingerprints offers the most accurate form of ID for a child, in which they can all be sent electronically to area enforcement agencies. Fingerprints are easily smudged, and the odds of identifying one perfect print is much easier when there are more to work with.
Child identification should be an important part of every family's routine, and included on all trips. Unfortunate acts of nature such as tornados, earthquakes or Tsunami's occur, potentially separating family members. Whether the child is carrying the ID or the parent is, it will aid in identifying that person via medical or law enforcement personnel. Be certain to make child identification a priority for your family.