LOVELL – The Lovell Neighborhood Watch Program will host an event Saturday to help expedite investigations of missing children.

The Child Identification Day event will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at the New Suncook School on Route 5.

According to a statement from Dawn Ferguson, the Lovell Neighborhood Watch will provide 250 child identification kits to parents and children who attend the event. The kits, which record a child’s fingerprints and other personal information, were purchased with a contribution from the Coe Fund.

Officers from the Maine State Police and the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office will assist parents and guardians in setting up the kits.

“Every year we take dozens of reports of missing or runaway children in Maine,” Lt. Walter Grzyb of the Maine State Police said. “These kits contain all the information law enforcement will need to immediately launch an investigation to bring your child home safely.”

Ferguson states that storing a child’s personal information at home can help increase the chances of finding a missing child.

“We will not record or keep any information about the children who participate and want parents to be assured that the privacy of their children’s information will remain strictly with them,” Grzyb said.

The event will also feature an appearance by McGruff the Crime Dog, face painting, balloons and ice cream.