As if foster children didn’t have enough problems in their lives, it turns out that they are disproportionately likely — as many as one in 30 — to be victims of identity theft. A wide variety of individuals, including parents, extended family members, social workers, foster parent and others, have access to their social security numbers and identifying information. Misuse of that data may not be discovered until the youth strikes out on his own and applies for a cell phone, job, student loan or apartment.
State and federal laws mandate that annual credit checks be conducted on all youth, age 16 and older, in foster care. A new report to the General Assembly, “Implementing Annual Credit Checks for Children in Foster Care,” discusses what the Virginia Department of Social Services has done to implement the law and enumerates next steps.
— JAB
