N.Y. (WETM) — The New York State Sheriffs’ Association is reminding parents and guardians to enroll in Operation Safe Child.

Operation Safe Child is a free program that provides parents and guardians with a card that has important information about their child. This card and the information on it can be critical in helping bring a missing child home. Currently, 58 county sheriffs and other law enforcement agencies in New York State participate in Operation Safe Child.

Cards from this program contain the child’s name, a photo of the child, a fingerprint image of both of their index fingers, and identifying biological information, like the child’s gender, eye color, hair color, date of birth, and more. The card only takes a couple of minutes to make and can be easily carried in a purse or wallet.

Having this card allows parents to quickly provide law enforcement officers with all of the important information required to identify their child. The card can also be used in conjunction with Amber Alerts and other missing child alert systems. The information on the card can be disseminated within minutes if necessary. The time saved by having this card can be critical when it comes to finding a missing child.

To enroll in Operation Safe Child, you can contact your local sheriff’s office. A list of all participating law enforcement agencies and their contact information can be found in this document.