On Friday Jan. 24, from 3 to 6 p.m., the Oyster Bay Library will be hosting the Nassau County District Attorney sponsored program, Operation SAFE CHILD. This free program is open to all children up to the age of 17 and provides ID cards displaying the child’s vital information. Unlike other similar ID programs, though, Operation SAFE CHILD also offers parents the opportunity to store their child’s information in a data base in Albany. Since the data cards can be electronically disseminated statewide they become an important tool when linked to the AMBER Alert.
According to the District Attorney’s office, statistics show that most parents in the United States do not know their child’s exact height and weight. Yet, when a child goes missing, getting this information to local law enforcement officials as quickly as possible is imperative. Operation SAFE CHILD equipment uses digital fingerprinting technology and high resolution photography to issue SAFE CHILD cards for parents to keep on hand in the event of an emergency. Since it’s launch in December of 2007, over 10,000 cards have been issued.
“When a child goes missing, every minute is precious,” said Nassau County District Attorney, Kathleen M. Rice. “Operation SAFE CHILD helps parents and guardians keep their kids safe by integrating with local and state law enforcement and I’m proud to sponsor the program.”
Amy Goldsheid-Martin, a licensed clinical social worker and mom of two, was very pleased to hear the library was offering the program and that it was free to the public. “With the rise in autism rates and children who are non-verbal the need for ID cards is becoming increasingly important. There needs to be more awareness of child safety and protection and programs like this,” she said.
While most library programs are open to local residents only, this program is free and open to all and pre-registration is not required. “We are really happy to be offering this program for our community,” said Oyster Bay Library Children’s Services librarian, Barbara Grodin. “I hope that families will take advantage of this opportunity.”
Anyone interested in learning more about the program can contact Assistant District Attorney Rene P. Fiechter, Community Affairs Director, at 516-571-1090.
