Media & Press
Press Room
Resources for journalists, bloggers, and organizations writing about child safety, fingerprinting programs, and missing child prevention.
About Protect Your Child
Protect Your Child (Mellen Marketing Associates, Inc.) has been America's leading supplier of child identification kits and fingerprinting ink strips since 1994. Founded by Paul Mellen in Duxbury, Massachusetts, the company has distributed over one million child ID kits to parents, schools, law enforcement agencies, and nonprofit organizations across all 50 states. Our products are used in programs affiliated with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) guidelines and distributed through CVS Pharmacy nationwide.
Key Facts
- Founded
- 1994
- Headquarters
- Duxbury, Massachusetts
- Founder
- Paul Mellen
- Products
- Child ID Kits, Fingerprinting Ink Strips, DNA Kits
- Kits Distributed
- 1,000,000+
- States Served
- All 50 States
- Retail Partner
- CVS Pharmacy
- Phone
- 781.361.1038
Company Boilerplate
"Protect Your Child, a division of Mellen Marketing Associates, Inc., is America's most trusted supplier of child identification kits and fingerprinting ink strips. Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Duxbury, Massachusetts, the company has provided over one million non-toxic, pre-inked fingerprint kits to parents, schools, law enforcement agencies, and nonprofit organizations across all 50 states. Products include the Complete DNA Kit™, HealthSafe ID Kit™, and bulk fingerprinting ink strips used in community child safety programs nationwide. For more information, visit protectyourchild.com or call 781.361.1038."
Approved for editorial use — please use verbatim for attribution.
Story Ideas & Expert Topics
Paul Mellen is available for interviews and expert commentary on the following topics.
Child Safety & Missing Child Prevention
How child ID kits and fingerprint records help law enforcement locate missing children faster. Statistics on missing children in the U.S. and the role of pre-prepared identification records.
Community Fingerprinting Programs
How police departments, sheriff's offices, and community organizations run child fingerprinting events. Best practices, supply requirements, and program outcomes.
DNA Identification for Children
The role of non-invasive DNA collection in child identification. How the Complete DNA Kit™ works, what information it captures, and how parents store and use it.
National Night Out & Child Safety Events
How law enforcement agencies incorporate child fingerprinting into National Night Out and other community outreach events. Logistics, community impact, and participation rates.
School Safety Programs
How school districts implement child ID programs as part of broader school safety initiatives. Coordination with local law enforcement and parent communication strategies.
Media Contact
Paul Mellen
Founder, Protect Your Child / Mellen Marketing Associates, Inc.
Available for phone and email interviews. Please allow 24–48 hours for response.