LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas is taking a step toward protecting its children, Attorney General Tim Griffin announced on Tuesday by establishing the Arkansas Child ID Program.
According to Griffin, the program distributes child ID kits to families of first-graders through sheriff's offices and schools. Families will then be able to complete the kits and have them on hand should their child ever go missing.
Each kit includes an inkless fingerprinting kit, a DNA sample collection, physical identification information, the location of medical records, a place for a recent photo and easy-to-use instructions.
"By having identifying information readily on hand, families will be able to share the kits with law enforcement, thereby cutting down on [the] time that investigators would have to collect such information," Griffin said. "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."
Griffin said the kits would be delivered to each school through its local sheriff’s office, and the program was launched in partnership with the National Child ID Program, the Walmart Foundation and the AEP Foundation.
National Child ID Program Ambassador Mike Singletary said 1,000 children go missing every day.
"It's not impossible," Singletary said. "It's important to be prepared, not scared. Parents need to be prepared for what seems impossible... [the kit] provides parents with proactive tools to be prepared for the impossible and keep their child's vital information at home in case of an emergency."
The kits "provide up to 90% of information needed by law enforcement" and should be completed by parents and stored in a safe place at home.
The information does not enter a database.