What Is a Child ID Kit? Everything Parents Need to Know
A child ID kit is a take-home safety record that parents fill out and keep at home. It contains everything law enforcement needs to identify a missing child quickly: fingerprints, a DNA sample, a current photograph, physical description, dental chart, and personal records. If a child ever goes missing, parents hand the completed kit directly to police — no waiting for records to be pulled, no delays.
What's Inside a Child ID Kit?
A complete child ID kit includes a non-toxic fingerprinting ink strip for taking clean, clear fingerprints at home; a sterile DNA collection swab for collecting a DNA sample; a ten-finger fingerprint chart; a dental chart; space for a current photograph; a personal records form with fields for height, weight, eye color, hair color, and identifying marks; and a parent instruction guide.
The kit is designed to be completed at home in about ten minutes. Once filled out, it's stored in a safe place — not with the child. Parents keep it, and if it's ever needed, they hand it directly to law enforcement.
Why Fingerprints Matter
Fingerprints are the most reliable form of identification for a child. Unlike a photograph, fingerprints don't change as a child grows. Unlike a DNA sample, fingerprints can be compared immediately without laboratory processing. A clear set of fingerprints taken at home gives law enforcement an identification tool they can use right away.
The fingerprinting ink strips included in a child ID kit are non-toxic and ASTM D-4236 certified safe. They're pre-inked — no ink pad needed. Press the strip to the child's finger, roll slightly, and lift. The print transfers cleanly to the card. Baby wipes remove any residual ink from the child's fingers in seconds.
Why a DNA Sample?
A DNA sample provides the most definitive form of identification available. The sterile swab included in the kit is used to collect a buccal (cheek) sample from the child. The swab is sealed and stored with the kit. It does not need to be processed or registered anywhere — it's simply held by the parents in case it's ever needed.
DNA identification is used in cases where other identification methods are insufficient. Having a sample already collected and ready to hand to law enforcement can save critical time.
How Often Should You Update the Kit?
Child safety experts recommend updating a child ID kit once a year, or whenever there's a significant change in the child's appearance — a new haircut, significant weight change, or new identifying marks. The photograph is the most important element to keep current. Fingerprints remain consistent from birth, so the fingerprint card only needs to be completed once.
A good routine is to update the kit at the start of each school year. Take a new photo, update the height and weight, and review the personal records form for any changes.
Where Do Child ID Kits Come From?
Child ID kits are distributed through schools, police departments, sheriff's offices, hospitals, and community organizations. Many families receive their first kit at a school fingerprinting event or a community child safety fair. Law enforcement agencies typically order kits in bulk — cases of 250 or more — and distribute them at no cost to families.
Protect Your Child has been supplying child ID kits to schools, law enforcement agencies, hospitals, and nonprofits since 1994. Our kits include a non-toxic fingerprinting ink strip, sterile DNA swab, ten-finger chart, dental chart, photo space, and personal records form. Bulk pricing starts at $1.25 per kit with free shipping.
What to Do With the Completed Kit
Store the completed kit in a secure location at home — not in the child's room or backpack. A fireproof safe or locked filing cabinet is ideal. Do not register the kit with any government agency or database. The kit is a private family record, kept by the parents and handed directly to law enforcement only if it's ever needed.
Consider photographing the completed fingerprint card with your phone as a digital backup. Store the photo in a secure, password-protected location.
Child ID Kits for Organizations
Schools, police departments, and community organizations that want to distribute child ID kits to families can order in bulk. Cases of 250 kits are available at $2.00 per kit. Cases of 2,400 ink strips — for organizations that already have ID cards — are available at $330 per case. Purchase orders are accepted for schools, law enforcement agencies, and government organizations. Free shipping on all orders.