(Photo: WBOC)DOVER, Del.- Identity theft has become an issue for children in the foster care system. But Delaware legislators are hoping a new law will curb the problem. Gov. Jack Markell signed House Bill 269 on Wednesday afternoon. The law mandates the state to run credit reports for foster children when they turn 16.
Foster child Lakeisha White had her identity stolen.
"Not every foster parent is the same and you never know what you're going to get. But by having this law there's really no way nobody can get their identity stolen from them," she said.
Markell said foster kids usually don't find out their credit has been stolen until it's too late.
"Then to find out you have your identity stolen, incredible," he said. "And so for these young people who are in foster care or aging out of foster care, they don't have the same support network and we wanna make sure we try and help them."
State Rep. Stephanie Bolden said it is unfortunately very usual for a foster child's identity to be stolen.
"Because they have access to all of their paperwork once you go into foster care," she said. "Their birth certificates, Social Security numbers, for everything you have to enroll them in"
