VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — People are used to waiting for their official identification cards when they go to the DMV to get their driver's license. However, the Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office said you can get a formal ID for your child as early as when the child is 12 months old.
The Sheriff's Office Child Identification program is part of the department's community outreach. Anyone can come get their picture and fingerprint taken to have an official ID. It'll list your birth date, name, height, eye color, and hair color.
Chief Deputy Rocky Holcomb says fewer people were getting child ID's during the height of the pandemic, but with restrictions lifting and more children getting outside, he says those numbers are going back up.
"Every event we would go to, we would do 75 to 100 cards," said VBSO Holcomb. "So, now, every event we do about 100 cards, so we're getting back to pre-pandemic numbers."
He said the IDs serve multiple purposes, but it mainly gives parents a sense of comfort.
"They have this immediate ID on hand that they can say, 'This is my child, my child is missing,'" said Holcomb. "They don't have to go looking for a picture. They have this ID on their person and say. 'I need help, this is my child.'"
One of the volunteers coordinating the program is Gary Zalas, who is the Seniors Program Coordinator. He says he used to do this work with the D.A.R.E. program, but when D.A.R.E. ended, he made sure the ID's were still available to the public. Even after he was set to retire years ago, he couldn't stay away from the community.
"I love what I do," said Zalas. "It's just that gratifying."
Zalas said he feels his role is particularly important with the recent rise in demand for these child IDs, saying, "We will give that person or caregiver an ID, because we know it would be something that would come in handy."
While you can get your child an ID at almost any age, the sheriff's office recommends you renew it every couple of years to keep up with your child's image. Zalas said if you are a caretaker of a senior or someone with special needs, you also can get one taken for that person to ensure their safety.
The Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office takes this program to events across the community to offer a free service to the public. You can check out their Facebook page to see where they will be next.