Program helps parents prepare for the worst

“David, can you spin around?”

“Can you jump? Is that you on the camera?”

Angela Henry did her best Saturday to animate and capture the spirit of the children she videotaped.

It was fun for the kids, who licked free suckers and fingered police badge stickers on their chests.

But for Henry, it was also serious business.

She works for the DNA LifePrint Child Safety Program, a national group that helps parents preserve potentially lifesaving information about their children, in case they go missing.

Dozens of families brought their kids to Custom Truck in Coeur d’Alene for photographing and videotaping and to pick up DNA sample kits.

“It’s like insurance,” said Henry. “You don’t want to have to use it, but you’re glad to have it if something should happen.”

Parents at the free event said they want to do what they can to protect their children.

“It’s the best prevention,” said Scott Johnson, who brought his two boys to the event.

Johnson said he couldn’t imagine anything happening to his young sons but added that he wanted to be prepared if it did.

Coeur d’Alene police were also on hand to talk to parents and kids about safety.

“It’s incredibly important,” said Coeur d’Alene police Detective Jon Spranget.

Spranget explained that having easy access to photos and video can be the difference when it comes to child abductions.

“The first few hours are so critical,” he said, adding that parents don’t want to be fumbling around for recent pictures at that time.

The photos and DNA kits, endorsed by “America’s Most Wanted” host John Walsh, were paid for by Custom Truck.

“We decided we wanted to do something to give back to the community,” said Custom Truck owner Rob Lechot.

Lechot, who has three children between the ages of 2 and 12, said he was having them come to the event, too.

“You’re going to have a whole package to give law enforcement if your kid is missing or kidnapped,” he said of the event’s value.

In addition to the photos and video, parents who participated Saturday will also have DNA samples of their children.

Parents were told to use the swab provided in each kit to take a DNA sample from their child’s cheek and then store it with records in a sterile vial. The sample will last for years without refrigeration and be available if law enforcement needs it to find or identify a child.

None of the information collected will be processed into a local or national database. It’s kept by parents in case of an emergency.

Parents who didn’t attend the event can gather similar information about their children by keeping current photos, video and identifying characteristics such as height and weight in one location.

Information about medical conditions and what children like to eat and do is also helpful.