Operation Child Protect
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| NOTE: The entire form will not be completed the day of the event. We will complete the photograph, name and fingerprint parts of the Child ID Kit. We recommend that you print out the PDF version of the Child ID Kit to fill out medical information, identification information, etc. |
What is Operation Child Protect?
Nearly 800,000 children are reported missing each year. This means that 2,000 children are missing each day in the U.S. It is a sad reality there are predators among us who prey upon the innocence of our children. Unfortunately, studies show that 34% of parents in the U.S. do not know their child’s exact height, weight or eye color. Timely, accurate and reliable information about the child is the most important law enforcement and community tool necessary to bring a child home safely.
Prompt delivery of comprehensive child identification also strengthens law enforcement’s use of the National Amber Alert Program. Thus, upfront, comprehensive, quickly accessible, child identification by parents and guardians is essential to find missing children.
The mission of Operation Child Protect, a safety initiative run by the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in partnership with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, is to employ the latest technology to create child identification tools that will provide law enforcement with accurate, up-to-date identification of missing children.
The goal of this safety initiative is to provide free Child Identification Kits and educational material to parents and guardians of children. Each Child ID Kit includes (1) Child ID Card saved on a flash drive, which contains color photographs, vital demographic and medical information, plus the child’s 10 fingerprints; (2) a digital color photograph – both a head and shoulders view and a profile; and (3) a Buccal (cheek) DNA collector.
The Child ID Kit is maintained solely by parents and guardians. Possession of the Child ID Kit allows essential information to be disseminated within minutes of a child’s disappearance, dramatically increasing the probability of a child’s safe return.
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What to do if your child goes missing?
1. Call 911.
2. Call your local Police and Sheriff’s Office and give them your child’s ID Kit immediately.
3. Call your local media.
4. Call the toll free hotline of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
1-800-843-5678.
5. Time is of the essence; taking the above measures could help you get your child back
home safely.
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Parent Safety Tips
- Teach your children their full name, address and telephone number.
- Teach your children how to make a long distance call (both directly to you using the area code and by dialing “0” for operator).
- Know the routes your child takes to and from school and other activities.
- Be involved in your child’s activities by volunteering at school, clubs and sporting events.
- Participate in a neighborhood watch program.
- Know your children’s friends.
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Child Safety Tips
- Always go to places with a friend - never go alone.
- Always tell your parents where you are going and when you will be back.
- Never accept candy, money or rides from anyone without your parent’s permission.
- Learn to dial 911.
- Know your home address and phone number.
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Important Resources
www.ohioicac.org
http://prosecutor.cuyahogacounty.us/
www.ncmec.org
www.ohioamberplan.org
www.missingkids.org/netsmartz/home