WASHINGTON – CUNA is working with the American Football Coaches Association, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Child Identification Program, and Congress to help solve child abductions. Shortly after deadline, the groups were scheduled to hold a joint press conference in the Cannon Terrace of the Cannon House Office Building to announce the new partnership, which takes advantage of credit unions' grassroots to distribute inkless fingerprint identification kits to parents to protect their children. Credit unions will help to "distribute inkless ID kits to distribute to hundreds of thousands, if not millions of children, all around the nation," CUNA Vice President of Legislative Affairs and Senior Legislative Counsel Gary Kohn said. "Eight hundred thousand children a year are reported missing and this is a very important program that's also in cooperation with the FBI and the American Football Coaches Association." Expected speakers at the press event included Ed Smart, father of rescued abductee Elizabeth Smart in Salt Lake City; CUNA President and CEO Dan Mica; congressional leaders; professional and college football coaches from local teams; representatives from the FBI; and National Child Identification Program officials. According to CUNA, this new initiative is a natural extension of credit unions' community involvement. "It's a major initiative that credit unions will be adding to their portfolio in an effort to really make a difference in this country with all the missing children," Kohn said. Credit unions have also helped children in trouble through their work with the Children's Miracle Network. Credit Union Times will provide full coverage of the event in our next issue.