Child identification available for parents at Bushwhacker Days

MoChip children identification will once again be available to parents at Bushwhacker Days.

No one wants to think that the unimaginable could happen to them, but according to statistics, nearly 2,000 children are reported missing or abducted each day in the United States.

It can be a daunting task for a distraught parent to gather all the information needed by law enforcement officials after a child's disappearance.

According to the National Center for missing and Exploited Children, a current good quality photo is the single most effective tool in locating a missing child. The Center encourages parents to be prepared by assembling their child's photo and vital information ahead of time.

Once again, the Masonic Children's Foundation and Osage Lodge No. 303 will make that possible by sponsoring the MoChip Child ID program during Bushwhacker Days. The MoChip program is a comprehensive child identification program designed to give families a measure of protection against the ever increasing problem of missing and abducted children.

The MoChip program has five major components: digital photographs, digital fingerprints, child information and emergency contacts, dental impressions and two laminated identification cards. Dental imprints are like fingerprints and also provide a DNA sample and a source of scent for a canine search and recovery team. All of the information is transferred to a mini CD disk and given to the child's parent.

All of the information generated remains with the parent. Only a consent form is kept by the Masonic Children's Foundation. All of the information is compatible with the Amber Alert System and can be updated as needed. If a child does go missing, a parent can give the disk to law enforcement officials for broadcast on the Amber Alert System. Forms for the program and more information can be found at www.mochip.org.

The program is provided free of charge to anyone who stops in at the local Masonic lodge. Take your child to the Osage Lodge No. 303 at 221 W. Walnut St. in Nevada on June 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to take advantage of the service. For questions or more information feel free to call event coordinator David Grubb at 41-667-6920.