All of us parents know how quickly papers pile up in our kids’ backpacks. But there’s one take-home item you may want to make sure you save from the recycling bin.

Does your child’s school use Lifetouch Photography for school portraits? If so, you can expect to receive a free SmileSafe Kids photo ID card. You don’t have to order photos to get the card, it should come home either way if your child takes a school picture.

Sadly, we’ve all learned recently how important clear photos of a missing child’s face can be. This ID card allows parents to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, who can use a code on the card to send the photo to law enforcement agencies across the country within minutes.

When I first received these ID cards for my children from Lifetouch years ago (the company has distributed 300 million of them over the last ten years) I immediately thought, “But I have plenty of photos of my kids I could give police.” When you think about it though, how many of them are really an accurate, detailed and recent representation of your child’s facial features? Plus, is the clearest one readily available at a moment’s notice?

Look for this card to come home after school pictures. Stick it in your wallet. It could be the most important photo you have.

LINK: http://www.lifetouch.com/child-safety

About The Blogger

- In her Brooke’s Bargains blog Brooke Wagner writes about finding bargains and saving money for her family. She calls it one of her favorite hobbies. Blog entries cover everything from the latest steals, deals, and freebies to cheap family activities, saving for college, and what to buy right now. Tweet Brooke your ideas at @BrookeCBS4.