Arkansas Child ID Program Says Parental Kits Going Out Soon

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, along with Pro Football Hall-Of-Famers Mike Singletary and Randy White, launched a collaborative program to combat child trafficking called the Arkansas Child ID Program on Tuesday, January 30, 2024. 

Tuesday was the official launch of the Arkansas Child ID Program, designed to help law enforcement identify children when they go missing. The program is a partnership with the National Child ID Program, the Walmart Foundation and the AEP Foundation.

The program consists of distributing child ID kits to families of first-graders throughout the state through local sheriff’s offices and schools. When the family completes the kit information, they then can keep them in a safe place to have on hand should a child in their care ever go missing. Having the ID information ready to share with law enforcement will cut down on the time investigators would need to use 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.

National Child ID Program Hall of Fame Ambassadors Mike Singletary and Randy White, both members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, added the following statements:

Mike Singletary:

“In football and in parenting, playing defense is all about preparation. 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.”

Randy White:

“As a grandfather actively raising two grandchildren, nothing is more important than protecting our children. “Every parent, every grandparent and every caretaker needs to be prepared. Preparation and education were keys to winning the Super Bowl. I urge every parent to complete and keep their Child ID kits and keep it updated. They are a critical part to a winning safety game plan. I'm grateful for Attorney General Griffin working tirelessly to protect Arkansas families and appreciate everyone's commitment to helping this program protect children across Arkansas.”

On average, 1,000 children go missing in the United States every day. Can we let that sink in for just a moment?

When a child goes missing, time is of the essence and these ID kits allow parents to provide up to 90% of the information needed by law enforcement to begin looking for the child. The kits will be provided at no cost to Arkansas families as part of a private-public partnership with the National Child ID Program.

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. The kits will be delivered to each school through its local sheriff’s office.

Kits should be completed by parents and stored in a safe place at home. The information does not enter any kind of state or national database.

Parents:

Your job now is to keep an eye out for these kits to become available in your community, when they are, pick one up, fill out the information and put it in a safe place, a place where you can easily find it in case of an emergency.

For more information, visit ArkansasAG.gov.

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