Safety prep that's easy to skip
Back-to-school season is full of checklists: supplies, schedules, vaccination records, forms for every activity your kid is signing up for. Somewhere on that list, or maybe not on it at all, is something worth adding: making sure you have current identification information for your child, in case you ever need it.
It's not something parents like to think about, and that's exactly why it tends to get put off. But it takes less time than most of the other back-to-school errands, and it's the kind of thing you're glad to have done ahead of time instead of scrambling for later.
What a Child ID Kit actually includes
A Child ID Kit is a simple, organized record that includes:
- Certified ink fingerprints
- Current photo
- Basic identifying information (height, weight, distinguishing features)
- A format that's ready to hand to law enforcement immediately if it's ever needed
It's not a service you use, it's a record you keep. The value is entirely in having it ready before you'd ever need it.
Ink fingerprinting isn't just for kids
Fingerprinting comes up for parents this time of year too, often without anyone connecting it to "back to school." A few common situations:
- Volunteering at school. Many PTAs, field trip chaperone programs, and classroom volunteer roles require a background check that starts with ink fingerprinting on an FD-258 card.
- Coaching or after-school programs. Youth sports leagues and extracurricular programs frequently require certified fingerprints as part of their volunteer or staff screening.
- Substitute teaching or new school employment. Parents picking up part-time work at their child's school often need fingerprinting completed before they can start.
If any of these apply to you this fall, it's worth getting it done now rather than waiting until a deadline is looming.
What certified ink fingerprinting looks like
Not all fingerprinting is the same. Certified fingerprinting for background checks or licensing purposes needs to be done correctly the first time, since a rejected card because of smudging or poor quality means starting over and losing time. Our process includes:
- Bring valid photo ID and any required forms (FD-258 card, agency-specific paperwork)
- A trained technician takes clean, certified prints
- Prints are provided in the format your school, agency, or licensing body requires
A quick back-to-school safety checklist
- Child ID Kit completed and stored somewhere accessible (not just filed away and forgotten)
- Fingerprinting completed for any volunteer or chaperone role you've signed up for
- Emergency contact and photo information updated if it's been more than a year
- If you're a school employee or aide, fingerprinting and background check paperwork submitted well ahead of your start date
Getting it done before the season gets busy
None of this takes long, but it's easy to let it slide once the school year is in full swing. If you're checking items off your back-to-school list, add this one. We can usually get you in and out quickly, whether it's a Child ID Kit for your family or certified fingerprinting for a volunteer role.