The Grand Lodge of Mason in Mississippi is sponsoring a Child Identification Program to provide ID kits for parents and guardians.

If you go

A Child Identification Program for children ages birth to 18 is scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Masonic Temple, 322 Cain Ridge Road.

The free program will be offered for children ages birth to 18 years at the Masonic Temple, 322 Cain Ridge Road, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Oct. 10.

The program will provide DNA screenings, mouth swabs for children without teeth and dental impressions for children with teeth, said Al Bettencourt, Paxton Lodge secretary.

Each child’s background will be collected as well as thumbprints. Program members also will take each child’s picture and scent, which will be given to the parent or guardian in a pouch in case the child is reported missing in the future. The photo can be digitally enhanced to show aging, Bettencourt said.

“The parents and guardians will receive 100 percent of the information. Nothing is retained,” said Bettencourt. “We only keep a permission slip from the parent or guardian.”

The program will be set up 300 children, but more kits will be made available so that no one is turned away, Bettencourt said.

Each child also will be given an identification to carry.

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Contact Tish Butts at tbutts@vicksburgpost.com