Child Safety- Does Your Dog Have More Identification Than Your
Child?
Take a moment and think about it. When you consider the fact
that, as adults, we would never consider leaving the house
without our id. We spend thousands on home and car alarms, we
are even protecting our family pets with microchips; however,
our most cherished possessions, our children, leave home without
any identification.
Here are some questions:
- Have you taken the time to record your child's
fingerprints, gather a hair sample for DNA purposes, record all
his/her specific identification, including specific identifying
features and a photograph of your child in a Child ID kit ? If so,
is it up to date?
- In the event of a motor vehicle accident, in which you
have been rendered unconscious, do the emergency medical
professionals have a quick way of accessing your child's
specific medical history, including your child's blood type,
medical provider, allergies, any medications they may be taking
at the time, or, even your family's doctor's name and phone
number?
- If you were on vacation with your children and they became
lost or separated from you, or worse, arrived at a hospital,
unconscious, as a John Doe, how or who would notify you and how
would they know to do so?
- Do you or your husband, for that matter; carry your
child's specific identification, including an up to date
picture?
- Do you, as responsible parents, take the time to talk with
your children about child safety?
- If you became separated from your child in a crowd, would
someone be able to contact you directly, or even know who your
child was?
If your answer was no or I don't know, don't worry, you are not
alone. The sad fact of the matter is that children do not carry
identification; if they did they would likely loose it!
Given today's world, it's becoming a necessity for children to
carry identification. This fact was clearly illustrated through
recent tragic natural disasters such as the tsunami, hurricane
Katrina and the earthquake in Pakistan. With each of these
disasters, we've witnessed far too many unidentified children.
When thinking of child identification, often, fingerprints and
hair samples are the first things that enter our mind. There are
far too many companies that profess to provide your child with
identification. Let me inform you that 99.9% of those companies
are passive in nature.
Fingerprints, DNA information, pictures and even dental records
will and are only ever used after the fact. Passive information.
Think of it as locking the barn after the horse gets away. It's
unfortunate that as parents, we feel that we have done all
possible to protect our children by having recorded this
information. This is the first step, and a very important step
in the safety of your child; however, as a parent, the only time
you ever want to look at your child's identification kit is and
should be when you update it. This is a very important step
towards safeguarding against the unthinkable. Few people are
aware that children's fingerprints are actually changing for the
first 4-5 years of their life; therefore, it is imperative that
this information be updated at least once a year, and every 6
months for the first three years of a child's life.
When looking for a child identification provider, keep in mind
the old adage " An once of prevention far outweighs a pound of
cure". If all the company provides you with are a fingerprint
kit, keep looking! One of the only truly proactive and
preventative providers of child identification is Child ID Labels inc.
The purpose of this article is not to alarm you but to inform
you, as we are all aware, information is a powerful tool. If, in
reading this, you took a moment to think about your child's
safety, please email this article to as many people as you know
and encourage them to do the same. Your children are, after all,
your most valuable possessions as well as our future.
Scott Irwin is the Marketing Director and for Child I.D. Labels
inc., North America's only true proactive and preventive
child safety and identification provider. Child ID has been
protecting children since 1995. Visit http://www.childidatlantic.co
m to find out how you can help protect and keep your
children safe.