Free child ID program kits coming to Collier County

Free National Child Identification Program kits will be coming to Collier County as part of a multi-organization effort led by LifeNet4Families.The initiative was announced on Monday by a coalition of nonprofit organizations, local government, law enforcement agencies and elected officials. The program aims to distribute 400,000 free NCIDP kits to families in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Collier counties.The program is intended to help parents and caregivers proactively collect and store critical identifying information for their children, a news release said. This includes fingerprints, photographs, physical descriptions and DNA samples.The ID kits are useful in the event that a child goes missing, as having immediate access to accurate information can help law enforcement and speed up response efforts during the critical first hours of an investigation, the release said.To learn how to request a kit, click here.DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.