News

Safeguarding our Children

Across the nation, families rely on the Child Identification Program as a safeguard in case a child is ever abducted or reported missing.

The program, which is administered by Masonic lodges at the community level, provides free fingerprinting and photo identification for children of all ages.

In California, Child ID – sponsored by the Grand Lodge of California and the California Masonic Foundation – is a favorite community service program for many lodges. Lodges in District 618, located in the San Joaquin Valley, are among the most committed.

Between April 2008 and September 2009, Olive Branch Lodge No. 269 in Tulare provided IDs for more than 1,000 children at nine events, including a joint event with Porterville-Lindsay Lodge No. 303. The two lodges partnered in October 2008 to bring the program to more than 600 children and their families at Hoops Preschool in Porterville.

Meanwhile, Visalia-Mineral King Lodge No. 128 has provided some 4,000 IDs at more than 20 events since 2007. Between events, the lodge works hard to educate the community about Child ID through active outreach, including a recent letter campaign to area elementary schools.