February 28, 2024

Hempstead County Sheriff James A. Singleton announced that 275 free inkless child id kits are being made available to parents of First Graders through a collaborative effort to protect Arkansas children with Attorney General Tim Griffin, Arkansas Sheriffs Association, the National Child ID Program, AEP and Walmart. "I appreciate Attorney General Griffin and the National Child ID Program making these child ID kits available. This is a voluntary kit that a lot like life insurance. You pray you never need to use it. However, should your child go missing, the information in these kits saves us time and has helped expedite efforts to find missing children," said Sheriff Singleton

Attorney General Tim Griffin announced the Arkansas Child ID Program at the end of January stating: "The Arkansas Child ID Program helps law enforcement identify children when they go missing. This program is being launched in 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 sheriff's offices and schools. Families can then complete the kits and have them on hand should a child in their care ever go missing. By having identifying information readily on hand, families will be able to share the kits with law enforcement, thereby cutting down on time that investigators would have 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."

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:

"In football and in parenting, playing defense is all about preparation," Singletary said. "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."

"As a grandfather actively raising two grandchildren, nothing is more important than protecting our children," White said. "Every parent, every grandparent and every caretaker need 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. When a child goes missing, time is of the essence and these ID kits allow parents to provide up to 90% of information needed by law enforcement to begin looking for the child. The Child ID 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, 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 a database.