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American
Football Coaches Association (AFCA)
The AFCA, which represents 32 professional and 681
collegiate football teams and thousands of high school
coaching staff, launched the National Child Identification
Program in 1997 as a community service initiative
dedicated to helping protect America's youth. According
to AFCA Executive Director Grant Teaff, AFCA coaches
have embraced the National Child Identification Program
since its inception. "It's an opportunity to turn
a negative into a positive," Teaff said. "It's sad
that we live in a society where children are susceptible
to running away or being abducted, but it happens
every day. We want to make a difference, and if we
can bring one child home safely, it's worth the effort."
The
National Child Identification Program was launched
at the West Virginia/Miami football game on September
27, 1997. On that day, the University of Miami distributed
nearly 12,000 I.D. Kits. That year, more than one
million ID Kits were distributed at NCAA Division
I-A college stadiums. In 1998, the AFCA expanded the
program to the NFL and all NCAA divisions - Division
IA, I-AA, II, and III. Since its inception, the National
Child Identification Program has distributed close
to 5 million ID kits at college football stadiums.
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Federal
Bureau of Investigation
In the fall of 2001, the FBI took an active role in
support of child identification and partnered with
the National Child Identification Program. The partnership
will allow the National Child Identification Program
to supply I.D. Kits to more than 18,000 state and
local law enforcement agencies across the country.
Supervisory Special Agent John S. Hooks, Jr., said,
"The AFCA is a respected organization with a
track record of community programs and leadership.
The FBI is proud to partner with the AFCA in the distribution
of the National Child Identification Program I.D.
Kits, which will be an unprecedented addition to our
current programs and a wonderful benefit to all communities
throughout the nation."
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National
Night Out
National Night Out, a unique crime and drug prevention
event sponsored by the National Association of Town
Watch has partnered with the AFCA and FBI's National
Child Identification Program to help distribute ID
Kits to America's children. National Night Out is
held on the first Tuesday of August ever year. It
is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention
awareness, generate support and participation in local
anticrime programs, strengthen neighborhood spirit
and police-community partnerships and send a message
to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods
are fighting back. The National Child ID Program and
National Night Out are working to set a new record
of fingerprinting 2 million children in one year.
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