Chicago Bear Caleb Hanie Endorses FBI National Child ID Program

Robert D. Grant, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI,) was joined today by Caleb Hanie of the Chicago Bears Football Club in unveiling a new digital version of the paper child ID kit as distributed by the National Child ID Program (NCIDP).

Established in 1997 in partnership with the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), this nationwide program provides inkless fingerprint and DNA sample kits to interested parents, grandparents or guardians of minor children. The fingerprints and DNA samples are taken and maintained by the parents or guardians of young children and can be used to assist law enforcement in the event of a natural disaster or missing child. If ever needed, this ID kit will give authorities vital and immediate information needed to assist with efforts to locate a missing child.

The new digital version, being announced locally today, is the next step in helping to protect young children by using state-of-the art technology. The application stores a child’s photo and vital information on a parent or guardian’s “smart phone” so that it is literally at their fingertips, should it ever be needed. The Child ID application also includes tips on keeping children safe and provides guidance on what to do in those first few critical hours after a child goes missing.

As part of this initiative, representatives from the FBI’s Chicago office will be on the second floor of Water Tower Place tomorrow (November 30th) from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., distributing the traditional paper identification kits and demonstrating the new digital application.

In making today’s announcement, Mr. Grant said “This initiative is part of our efforts to help protect our nation’s estimated 60 million youths. We encourage anyone with young children and who has a “smart phone” to download this valuable application today.” At present, the application is only available for iPhones and can be downloaded, free of charge, from iTunes. A Droid-compatible version will be available in early January. To date, approximately 100,000 digital identification kits have been downloaded nationwide.

A four-year veteran with the Chicago Bears, Hanie has joined the growing ranks of NFL players who have endorsed the FBI’s National Child ID program. In recognition of Hanie’s support of this program, he is being presented with the FBI’s “Exceptional Service in the Public Interest” award from Director Robert S. Mueller, III.

Traditional paper Child Identification Kits are also available to interested groups and organizations through the Chicago FBI’s Community Outreach Program at (312) 421-6700. Locally, the FBI and AFCA have distributed nearly 50,000 of the Child ID kits during the past five years through the Chicago Public School system and at Northwestern and Northern Illinois University football games.

The FBI’s Community Outreach Program provides crime, drug, and gang prevention information, along with educational programs that help meet the growing needs of our communities. Additional details about the FBI’s Community Outreach Program can be found at www.fbi.gov.

Additional information about the Child Identification Kit Program is available online at www.info@childidprogram.com.