NEKOOSA, WI - The Green Bay Packers announced Tuesday that they will join forces with the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and the National Children Identification Program to distribute child identification kits to Wisconsin children during the 2015-2016 school year.  

"We are proud to join the Green Bay Packers and Mark Murphy in a project to protect nearly one million children in Wisconsin," said Kenny Hansmire of the Child ID Kit program. "Mark has always supported the American Football Coaches Association's effort in protecting our nation's children. We are assembling a great team, which will include Wisconsin-based Nekoosa Coated Products to move this project forward. Because of these partnerships Wisconsin's children are safer."

The child identification kit contains fingerprinting materials, DNA collection swabs and other tools for parents and guardians to easily record information about their children to share with authorities if ever needed to locate their missing child.

Nekoosa Coated Products' Identifier™ product is an inkless biometric identification system using proprietary technology to create permanent, smudge resist impressions. Identifier is authorized by the FBI, and used in police stations, hospitals and birthing centers around the world. Nekoosa Coated Products became the exclusive provider of fingerprint materials for the National Child Identification Program in 2005.

"I am so thankful for the great work that Kenny Hansmire does with the National Child Identification Program, and the wonderful partnership we have built over the last 10 years," said Paul Charapata, CEO of Nekoosa Coated Products. "There is no better way to embrace our Wisconsin heritage at Nekoosa Coated Products than to be a part of a project with the Green Bay Packers that helps protect the children in our state."

The Green Bay Packers will make the announcement before this Sunday's game with the Detroit Lion's, who are leading a similar initiative in Michigan. The Packers' Mark Murphy and Lions' President Tom Lewand will present the ceremonial first kit at Lambeau Field.

The National Child Identification Program is a community-service initiative dedicated to providing parents and guardians with tools they can use to protect their children. Launched by the AFCA in 1997 with a goal of fingerprinting 20 million children, the program exceeded expectations by distributing 38 million kits since its inception. Their initiatives make the National Child Identification Program the largest child identification effort ever conducted.