Politics & Government
Child Safety Program Going Strong in East Meadow
Town of Hempstead program offers fingerprinting and even DNA advice to parents looking to keep their kids safe.
Keeping our children safe. It's the number one priority of parents, and the Town of Hempstead is arming parents with what they need to do just that. The town's Child Emergency Identification Program came to East Meadow Public Library, with parents coming out to ensure their kids' safety, and give themselves some peace of mind.
"The program's designed to give parents certain information that they don't necessarily have at home," TOH Town Clerk Mark Bonilla said. "A parent almost never has fingerprints of a child."
Bonilla says 75,000 kids in the town have been registered with the program the last few years. For parents who may be on the fence regarding the program, they need not worry, according to Bonilla.
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"There are no privacy issues, the town keeps nothing, the parent takes everything, so they don't have to worry about someone having their child's vital records," he said.
Parents receive a Child Safety I.D. Kit. Children are photographed and fingerprinted, and there are spaces to list all pertinent information about the child, such as identifying marks, home address, even dental records and shoe size.
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The program has advanced with the times, as parents are even urged to attach a strand of their child's hair to the kit, should DNA testing be required. The parent takes the completed kit home, and can then be given to the authorities should a child go missing.
"We hope and pray they never need [the kit], but it's better to have it and not need it than to need it, and not have it," Bonilla said.
The town signs families up for the program all over, from schools and libraries to street fairs. It was a solid turnout at EMPL on Friday, as parents took a break from their busy schedules and made time to protect the kids.
"In today's world you have to do things like this, you're forced to, for the protection of the child," said John Pinizzotto of East Meadow, on hand to get a kit made for his granddaughter.
"Let's face it, there's nothing better to safeguard than our children, because they're our best asset," Bonilla adds.
To arrange an ID kit for your child, call the Town of Hempstead at 516-812-3100.
