Representatives from the Ident-A-Kid program visited Oakwood Elementary School on Sept. 16 to photograph and fingerprint 97 students in grades kindergarten to fifth.

Technician Chris Hugo said the information collected is vital for child safety and designed to protect children if they are lost or kidnapped and to help law enforcement bring them home.

"I visit about four schools a week and the franchise I work for covers 300 schools," Hugo said. "Kids height and weight change constantly as they continue to grow so it is important for us to come each year and for parents to update the cards frequently.

According to the program's Web site, Ident-A-Kid "provides the nation's largest Child Identification Program with over 20 years of success stories."

Founder Robert King of St. Petersburg, Fla. created the first Ident-A-Kid card in 1986 after he heard that a friend of his had lost her son while shopping at a mall.

"I think it is an important program because you never know when something is going to happen," First grade teacher at Oakwood Elementary School Ashley Parnell said. "We like to think the best but sometimes the worst happens so it is good for the kids to have this and for parents to have an updated photo and to always have their child's fingerprint on hand. I am actually waiting for my 11-month-old son to get here so I can have one made for him as well."

Eight children out of the 19 from Parnell's class participated in the program; a number she said is average each year.

"Parents get a pre-purchase form sent home from the school and they can choose whether or not to participate," Parnell said.

Parents have the choice of buying one card for $8 or two for $10. Each card includes a picture of the child, height and weight as well as the child's fingerprint.

Teacher at Oakwood and parent of a student at the school Mindy Mitchell said she renews her cards each year having her childrens' pictures retaken and their information redone.

"If my child were to be kidnapped or lost the cards provide you with something to give to the police department that will help them find them faster," Mitchell said of the program. "I started having them done when the children were a year old and they change so much every year that I feel like the picture needs to be updated each year."