GENESEO, N.Y. -- It is a simple and painless process that can help keep your kids safe. In Livingston County, law enforcement has teamed up with the District Masonic Association to provide free child safety ID kits.
"They have that information, if, if God forbid anything happens, you can go right to it," Kelly Hepler said.
Hepler is the mother of three boys. Her 6-year-old son took part in the child ID kit program last year. The process includes taking and easily storing fingerprints, dental impressions and DNA; all key information that can be used to make an identification.
"Just the fact that you have the option to do this and that they offer it is awesome, just to have the piece of mind," Hepler said.
Officials from the Livingston County Sheriff's office say the pro-active measure can help lessen the pressure on parents and can better help law enforcement officials do their job if a child goes missing.
"They're under a lot of stress and police are obviously too, and why, because there's time frame," deputy Mike Didas said. "You know, those first few minutes are critical in the response time for, especially for, missing or abducted children."
This program has been around for more than 20 years in Livingston County and since 2012, some 35,000 young students have completed the kid ID kit.
"From a parental perspective, I know it's a big peace of mind, to know that we have that in the freezer available, in the out of the way chance, god forbid the worst were to happen," Didas said.
Sheriff's office officials also provided Operation Safe Child ID cards so parents or guardians can carry them in their wallet.
"I mean I don't like to think about that because when I was little it was never an issue, but now you just don't know, you don't know what can happen," Hepler said.