Child safety program May 21 at Patriots Gateway

Staff Report

The Kishwaukee Corridor Weed & Seed will be hosting the McGruff Safe Kids Total Identification System Program as part of its campaign to offer free Child Identification Kits to the community.

This Child Safety and Identification Program will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, May 21, at Patriots Gateway Center, 615 S. Fifth St., Rockford.

Parents are urged to take advantage of this rare opportunity to have their children digitally photographed and fingerprinted by trained professionals. Parents will receive the only record of this information, which is printed in color on a full-size ID card and two laminated wallet-size ID cards. Parents will also receive a DNA Self Collection Kit and a McGruff Jr. Crime Fighter Sticker Badge for each child processed.

Children will also be able to view the new video, No, Not Me, Not Ever, which teaches children important safety messages on how to avoid dangerous situations.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, every 40 seconds a child is reported missing or abducted. When a child becomes missing, every passing second counts. Law enforcement officials agree that having this information is the single most useful tool available to help locate a missing child. For more information on this event, contact Dana Hoefle, Kishwaukee Corridor Weed & Seed project manager, at (815) 703-8976, or e-mail her at dhoefle@wchd.org.