Sheriff's Office Offers Kids Fingerprinting for 'National Missing Children's Day'

The McHenry County Sheriff's Office is holding a child fingerprinting event in honor of the upcoming National Missing Children's Day and the Take 25 Child Safety Campaign.

The free fingerprinting service is from 8:30 to 10 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22, at the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, 2200 N. Seminary Ave., Woodstock, according to a sheriff's office press release.

Attendees should go to the Sheriff’s Office Training Division located on the second floor of the courthouse.

May 25th has been observed as National Missing Children’s Day since it was first recognized in 1983. National Missing Children’s Day serves as an annual reminder there are thousands of children who are missing and stresses the importance of making child protection a national priority, according to the sheriff's office.

The Take 25 Campaign is a national child safety public awareness effort created in 2007 by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The campaign encourages parents to take 25 minutes to talk to their children about safety and ways to prevent abduction. 

The campaign runs from May 1 - 25 every year.

“Every day we hear stories about children who escaped a would-be-abductor because someone talked to them about what they should do in that type of situation," NCMEC CEO John Ryan said. “Education and open communication are key to keeping children safer. Take 25 minutes and talk to your child.”

Every year in America, an estimated 800,000 children are reported missing, more than approximately 2,000 each day, according to the sheriff's office.

Of that number, it is estimated that 200,000 are abducted by family members and approximately 58,000 are abducted by non-family members, the release stated.

Each year, it is estimated that 115 children are the victims of the most serious abductions; they are taken by non-family members and either murdered, ransomed or taken with the intent to keep, the release stated.