What Is a Child Safety Kit?

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A child safety kit is a preemptive measure to find your child if they are ever abducted. A child safety kit records your child’s height, weight, blood type, eye color, fingerprints, and DNA, so you can pass it off to authorities and help them find your child faster. We rounded up everything you need to know about these kids survival kits.

Parents and children walking down a sidewalk

Image: Emma Bauso, Pexels

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Where to get a child safety kit

Organizations like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) partner with law enforcement to provide parents with free child safety kits. You can also contact your local police department directly to learn about any upcoming safety kit events. At these events, you’ll learn how to take fingerprints and sample your child’s DNA for storage. Plus, you may get forms to update when you change address, your child has a birthday, or they get a new distinguishing item like glasses.

A warning about kids survival kits

Never submit your information or that of your child to an unverified organization. Police have warned parents about scams, so be wary.

How to make your own child safety kit

We don’t blame you if you don’t want to give out your child’s personal information. Make your own child safety kit by collecting the following information about your child on a piece of paper:

  • First, middle, and last name
  • Nicknames
  • Birth date
  • Age
  • Height
  • Weight
  • Sex
  • Ethnicity
  • Eye Color
  • Hair Color
  • Unique features (like glasses, birthmarks, braces, piercings, tattoos, etc.)
  • Doctor contact information
  • Emergency contacts
  • Fingerprints*

*Note: You’ll need to use a black inkpad and take a fingerprint of every single one of your child’s fingers. Go to your local police station if you’d like professional help taking your child’s fingerprints. If they’re recorded incorrectly, they won’t do you any good.

You should also include a recent, color photo of your child and a DNA sample—anything from a toothbrush to a bloody bandage—in the kid's survival kit.

What to do if your child goes missing

We hope this never happens to you, but please read the following steps so you’re prepared if your child ever disappears.

  1. Call 911 Immediately
    Unlike adult missing persons, children are registered as missing immediately and an AMBER Alert can be issued if the case meets proper criteria. The sooner you call the police, the quicker they’ll be able to get patrol cars on highways and citizens looking out for your child.
  2. Call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
    Call 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) to report your child missing. This organization will cast a wider net and use its resources to help bring your child home.
  3. Don’t Interfere
    If your child is missing, it’s going to be incredibly hard for you to sit still. But you have to let law enforcement do its job without getting in the way. The less you interfere, the more energy they’ll be able to focus on bringing your precious child home healthy, safe, and unharmed.

How to prevent abductions

Best child GPS tracker
jiobit kids tracker
Jiobit Next
$129.99 + $16.99
/mo

 *Amazon.com price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

Technology has made incredible things possible. GPS wearables are one of these advances. Now, you can choose between dozens of bracelets for your kids to wear so you always know where they are and if they’re in harm’s way. Check out our report on GPS wearabes for kids to learn more about the available options.


Compare the best kid safety products

Product
Best for
Price
Specs
Standout feature
Learn more
Read review
Best kids GPS tracker Two-way calling and listen-in functionGPS tracking with transit alerts + location history
Best kids phoneUnlimited talk and textBuilt-in parental controls
Best kids smartwatch No internet, video calling,
25 contacts
SOS button, 96+ hour battery
Best parental control appRequires iOS 11 or Android 5 and upMonitors 24 social networks
Best booster seat For kids up to 120 lbs. 3 layers of side-impact protection
Best kids bike helmet47–57 cm. head circumferenceEasy-to-adjust tri-glide strap sliders

Amazon.com price as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Read full disclaimer.

*For annual plan, paid yearly.

*Amazon.com price as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Read full disclaimer.


Related articles on SafeWise

Disclaimer

*Product prices and availability are accurate as of post date and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Safewise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.

Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.

Alina Bradford
Written by
Alina Bradford
Alina is a safety and security expert that has contributed her insights to CNET, CBS, Digital Trends, MTV, Top Ten Reviews, and many others. Her goal is to make safety and security gadgets less mystifying one article at a time. In the early 2000s, Alina worked as a volunteer firefighter, earning her first responder certification and paving the way to her current career. Her activities aren’t nearly as dangerous today. Her hobbies include fixing up her 100-year-old house, doing artsy stuff, and going to the lake with her family.

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