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Attorney
General Mike DeWine
Helping
Foster Youth with Credit
Report Errors
(COLUMBUS,
Ohio) – Attorney General
Mike DeWine recently sent letters to the state's public children
services
agencies offering help in meeting a new federal mandate requiring youth
at
least 16 years old and within the foster system to have their credit
checked.
The mandate also requires the clearance of any errors found on their
credit
report.
"Unfortunately,
foster youth
can be especially vulnerable to becoming victims of identity theft,"
said
Attorney General DeWine. "Working with the Ohio Department of Job and
Family Services and county foster care systems, we stand ready to help
correct
any problems found in these annual credit checks."
"Providing
these credit checks
is one small way we can smooth the transition from foster care to
adulthood," said Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Director
Michael Colbert. "At ODJFS, we are committed to helping young people
leaving foster care find work or attend college and become successful
adults.
Identifying and correcting errors on their credit reports will help,
and I
appreciate the Attorney General's assistance."
The
federal law requires that
foster youth ages 16 – 18 receive an annual credit check. As those
checks are
conducted by county public children services agencies, any errors found
will be
handled by the recently formed Identity Theft Unit within the Consumer
Protection Section of the Ohio Attorney General's Office. This unit
also offers
services to any Ohioan to assist in remedying the effects of identity
theft.
The
letter sent to the county
public children services agencies included an affidavit to be filled
out by
youth who are found to have errors on their credit report. After
assisting the
foster youth in checking their credit report, county public children
services
agencies will then send the report and the affidavit to the Attorney
General's
Identity Theft Unit to resolve any issues.
Any
Ohioan who is a victim of
identity theft should first contact local law enforcement. Further
assistance
in rectifying errors can be obtained at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov or
by
calling 1-800-282-0515.
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