The Danielle Identification Program (D.I.D.) is sponsored by the Danielle Legacy Foundation.  The DLF is a non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status.  This organization was founded in memory of Danielle van Dam. 

  Why does our school need this program? 

  Each year more than 800,000 children are reported missing.  That is equivalent to 1 every 40 seconds.  An I.D. program for every child within the school system under the age of 10 provides teachers and parent chaperones with an immediate tool to reduce vulnerabilities and to be proactive in the safety of our children when offsite from school campuses.

  The D.I.D. program would provide schools with picture I.D.’s and an identification holder that would heighten the awareness of chaperones on traditional fieldtrips and to have immediate identification of a missing child or a child that is in medical need. 

How can we implement this program within our school? 

  The Danielle Legacy foundation will partner with corporate sponsors to help defray costs associated with the I.D.  Volunteers will be there to assist on picture day with the bulk of the information to be sent home prior to the event.   The I.D.’s would be kept in the school office to be checked out when students are being sent offsite for an educational field trip.

  What are the costs associated with this program? 

  The Danielle Legacy foundation will work with vendors within our community as well as provide sponsorship through businesses that are committed to a safer place for our children.  At this time, there are NO costs associated for the schools. 

  What will the Danielle Legacy Foundation provide? 

  The Danielle Legacy foundation will provide all the necessary paperwork as well as promotional items to encourage children and parents to put their children’s safety first.  We will also provide each child with a sticker that would say, “I D.I.D. it” “ I put my safety first,” and posters that say, “ We D.I.D. it”  “We put our children’s safety first.”  We will be able to customize the information given on the I.D. to reflect the parents and/or the guardian’s wishes.

  What are the long-term goals of this program? 

  The Danielle Legacy foundation will continue to advance the D.I.D. program with state lawmakers and the community.  Our goal is to implement this program in as many schools as possible and prove that having these tools available to all schools will enable all of us to keep our children safer.  We  hope that this program will develop into a mandatory system for all schools nationwide to help assist in the event of an emergency.   We hope parents, teachers and caregivers will eventually find the D.I.D. program commonplace among all school systems

Dear Parents,  

As the mother of Danielle and founder of the Danielle Legacy Foundation, I am pleased to see the DID Program introduced into our schools.  As a chaperone on many school fieldtrips, I remember feeling an overwhelming responsibility to recall the student's name, what they looked like, etc. when accompanying them.  I feared one would become separated from the group.  

This is why the DLF has developed the DID program in Danielle's memory.  I believe that having this identification tool will be useful when students are off site. I am committed to finding and implementing programs that will keep our children safer. 

I have learned many things over the past 2 1/2 years and I am confident that parents are beginning to understand more of the vulnerabilities that face children today.  If the DID program helps to reduce the risk to our elementary students when offsite, then we have reached our goal.  

I am committed to making this program a success.  

Thank you  

Brenda van Dam