DNA Kit Sent Home From School

[1xmom]

My dd had one of those DNA Kids sent home yesterday. I don't know what to do w/it. Anyone else have one. Do you think it is absolutely necessary? I know it should be just in case something happens to your child, but I'm not too crazy sending my child's DNA off to some lab that I don't know anything about. Couldn't they just get it off her hairbrush or something, if it need be?

[tayndrewsmama]

I don't know hardly anything about those, but I agree, it doesn't sound like a good idea.

[frogger]

hmmm kinda leary about sending dna to a lab somewhere. I know that we did a swab dna from C's cheek and then we have it ina safety dep box. Never left our sight. his was this one http://www.dna-lifeprint.com/kit.htm

[MinnieMouse]

We were just at our local Y's "healthy kids day" and a few of the local police officers were there.

They did child ID kits. Fingerprints and a photo/video CD that they took and gave to us. Along w/ that they gave us a DNA kit. The kit has three bags, one w/ a qtip in it. One bag is for a few pieces of hair (with the ends on them), another for fingernail clippings and the last for the qtip after we swab dd's cheek.

WE keep all of this together in case anything happens.

ETA... The police didn't keep any of this info... in fact the DNA portion isn't even done at the time... WE do it at home. Then WE keep all of it, the cd, the fingerprints and the DNA kit all together in a safe place in case something happens.

Maybe that is what this kit is like??

[CarrieMF]

The school here has done Child ID days but I won't let the kids participate, I've seen too many episodes of CSI,lol DNA is only going to be used to determine whether a dead body or blood is your child. For bodies they can use other method most of the time(finger prints, dental records, viewing). For blood, again watching too many CSI episodes I could see how a person can be charged/found guilty of a crime they didn't commit.

I have fingerprint cards here for them. I do not know if there is specifics on how to store cheek swabs, hair, etc but I would never send any of thier info like that to anyone. Once it is out of your hands they can do anything they want with it.

[nikirj]

I wouldn't do it. Once it's out there, it's out there, and no promise of 'it will never be used to...' will mean a damn thing in 15 years when your children are adults and their DNA is conveniently already on file.

[2Sweeties1Angel]

I wouldn't do it. Once it's out there, it's out there, and no promise of 'it will never be used to...' will mean a damn thing in 15 years when your children are adults and their DNA is conveniently already on file.

I agree. It's bad enough DH's DNA is on file with the Feds. I don't want them to have easy access to my kids' DNA.

[**guest**]

I'm a bit confused about this. My ds had his DNA tested (his father insisted on having it done).
So, is it bad that ds has his DNA info on file somewhere?

[nikirj]

Originally Posted by lizc

I'm a bit confused about this. My ds had his DNA tested (his father insisted on having it done).
So, is it bad that ds has his DNA info on file somewhere?

I would think that having a file at a working lab would be a lot less of a risk than submitting DNA to a database. The database would just be too obvious a place to look, kwim?

[zavierchick]

i think i'm confused, too- we have the kits like frogger and minniemouse mentioned, in fact i sell them on my site, because I think they are a great (although sad and scary) idea- but like they said, you do the the whole kit and keep it at home, just in case you would ever have a reason to need to use fingerprints, dna, recent pics and other info. What does the school want done with their kit? Do you send it in? for them to keep on file? that would creep me out, too!! keep us posted, i'm really curious about what that is!

[chiromamma]

DNA Kits

Wow. I have never heard of those. I have heard of the videos and stuff like that.
A great book to read on keeping kids safe without scaring them (and us) to death is Protecting The Gift by Gavin De Becker. He is an expert on predator behavior, has been an advisor to the CIA, Supreme Court and presidential appointee.
He comments on all these programs that (he feels) lull parents into feeling as if they are doing something, when in fact, they only help in identifying a dead body.
He emphasizes mother's intuition as one of the greatest ways to keep our kids safe.
I learned a TON about the real risks, rampant myths and downright foolish advice that's out there.
I highly recommend this book to all parents. Anyone else read it?
~Tracy

[vamp127]

Originally Posted by CarrieMF

The school here has done Child ID days but I won't let the kids participate, I've seen too many episodes of CSI,lol DNA is only going to be used to determine whether a dead body or blood is your child. For bodies they can use other method most of the time(finger prints, dental records, viewing). For blood, again watching too many CSI episodes I could see how a person can be charged/found guilty of a crime they didn't commit.

I have fingerprint cards here for them. I do not know if there is specifics on how to store cheek swabs, hair, etc but I would never send any of thier info like that to anyone. Once it is out of your hands they can do anything they want with it.

I agree. We have fingerprint cards for the dc and each birthday, we put a new picture in with it, with height & weight marked on the back.

It is my biggest fear that something will happen to the dc so I want to be able to have this at the ready.

[mightymoo]

I agree about protecting the gift - its going to be a rare instance that the child's DNA is going to help save your child, but in my opinion if its free, you are keeping it at home and it might convict the $*#@$#& who killed your child, its worth it. I'm not running out to do it, but if I was given one, I would do it.

[Tofu the Geek]

I am also confused why you have to send it in. A local car dealership in our area had a "child safety" weekend and one of the companies that makes DNA kits did the DNA swab for free on kids. You walked up, they swabbed the child's inside cheek, directly inserted the swab into it's sealed container and handed it directly to you to do with as you wished. We put ours in a safety deposit box. They didn't keep any records (didn't even ask for a name) and definitely did NOT send anything to any lab.

If I were you, I'd use the kit to get the sample and put it somewhere for safe keeping. I would NOT return the sample to the school or send it to any lab.

[sohj]

I'm confused by this thread.

You mean this is something sent home with a child from school? For you to use -- for what?

Is this like a more up-to-date (technologically speaking) thing like getting fingerprinted at a field trip to a police station?

And there are DNA kits for sale on kid-stuff websites? Why?

[Tofu the Geek]

Originally Posted by sohj

You mean this is something sent home with a child from school? For you to use -- for what?

Is this like a more up-to-date (technologically speaking) thing like getting fingerprinted at a field trip to a police station?

And there are DNA kits for sale on kid-stuff websites? Why?

Take a look at the link in post #3. That is a company that sells kits and their FAQ answers some questions as to why it could be useful.

As an aside, I think that is the kit that was used at our car dealership's "kid safety" weekend (I noticed the web site said that Ford is one of their clients).

[sohj]

Thanks, TG.

From that site's faq's:

What are parents' greatest fears when it comes to their children?

Recent studies show that 87% of parents polled indicated that their greatest single fear was that their child would be reported missing for more that 24 hours.

Sorry, my greatest fear for the physical safety of my child is being hit by a car. Statistically, that is far more likely to happen than abduction and murder. It is also my understanding that the majority of the children listed as "missing" are, in fact, alive and living with the parent who took them from the one who reported the child missing.


This fear stuff is for the birds.

I actually grew up in a family that was politically active and had threats directed against them, including kidnap threats directed at me. Occasionally, we were tailed while driving and I was raised with a whole lot of training in being cautious.

My point is, this is not what is going to keep your child safe. All this does is ID someone who is dead.

If someone buys into the Fear Motivation driving our country these days, why not just train for caution?

[Tofu the Geek]

Originally Posted by sohj

My point is, this is not what is going to keep your child safe. All this does is ID someone who is dead.

If DNA was the only way to identify a body that was found, I'd be happy to have some on hand. It could also be used to identify your child who is kidnapped. Some people have children that disappear for years before they are ever found. I think the web site listed a few other uses along the same lines.

When we got ours done, it wasn't because of fear of a kidnapping or thinking it was going to save my child from something. It was a free swab and something I could keep on hand if the need should ever arise to use it. If I don't ever need it, well it only took about a minute of our time and isn't taking up much space in our safety deposit box.

I would hope that parents don't think that a DNA swab will keep their child from getting abducted, or that it will somehow ensure that their child is returned safely. At the clinic we went to, they specifically told us its uses and gave us information on keeping your child safe.

Not trying to pick on you sohj, just trying to show another side!

[MountainLaurel]

Originally Posted by nikirj

Once it's out there, it's out there, and no promise of 'it will never be used to...' will mean a damn thing in 15 years when your children are adults and their DNA is conveniently already on file.

Today's elementary school DNA test may mean they can't get health insurance as an adult because they carry the genetic marker for depression or breast cancer, after the DNA protection outfit sold its database to Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

[CarrieMF]

What does the school want done with their kit? Do you send it in? for them to keep on file? that would creep me out, too!! keep us posted, i'm really curious about what that is!

Usually when schools do these things it is a joint effort with the police. they do it through the schools because they can get more kids that way.