SEQUIM — The Coalition for a Secure Driver’s License pilot program with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula continues to grow, offering free access to state identification cards for children.
“We’re able to offer the parents and children of our community a free opportunity to secure the identity of their children and enable them to travel to Canada and Mexico without the expense of a passport,” said Mary Budke, Boys & Girls Clubs executive director over the units in Sequim and Port Angeles.
The program known as Keeping Identities Safe for Kids, or KIDS, was launched in 2009.
It reimburses parents for the cost of state ID cards issued to their children during the program period.
Organizers said the effort protects children from identity theft, a growing problem in hard economic times, and eases the hassle of boarding a plane or traveling abroad.
The card carried by a child also provides identification if he or she is hurt in an accident while away from home.
The card makes it easier to enroll in community programs requiring proof of identify such as library systems, sports leagues and health clubs.
The coalition’s chairman is Donald M. Kendall, a Sequim native and former Pepsico chief executive officer.
An active donor to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula for many years, Kendall provided funding to initiate the program.
The Sequim club is named for Donald Kendall’s father, Carroll C. Kendall.
“Almost all of the families that have gotten them have multiple children,” Budke said.
“We find it a great value to the children we serve.
“Now we can close the circle of security around them to make sure their IDs are safe, and all it costs the parents is their time.”
Number of children
More than 120 children have participated through the voucher program over the past two years, and about 66 families have obtained Washington State Enhanced IDs at no cost to the parents.
Budke said one family with four children was reimbursed $140 to cover the IDs.
Parent reimbursements for the IDs are made possible through a private donation from Kendall and the Coalition for a Secure Driver’s License.
The donation covers reimbursement to the parents obtaining a standard state ID card for $15 or an enhanced ID card for $35.
Here’s how it works:
A reimbursement voucher is printed in the KIDS program brochure, which can be obtained at either of the Boys & Girls Club locations in Port Angeles and Sequim.
The Sequim unit at 400 W. Fir St. is open from 9 am. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. The Port Angeles unit, 2620 S. Francis St., is open from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
Budke in Sequim can be reached at 360-683-8095, while Port Angeles Unit Director George Rodes is at 360-417-2831.
Voucher in hand, parents take their children to a state Department of Licensing office to obtain an ID card or enhanced ID card.
The enhanced card allows holders to travel to Canada and other North American countries without a passport through various ports of entry.
Enhanced ID cards
Parents planning to obtain enhanced cards must phone to schedule appointments with a Department of Licensing office because of the additional enrollment requirements, as compared with a standard ID card.
The Port Angeles Department of Licensing office is at 228 W. First St., Suite M. Phone 360-457-8887.
Hours, except for holidays, are from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursdays and from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays.
Once the enrollment for the card has been completed, parents or guardians need to bring the child, the ID card — or temporary ID pending receipt of the actual card — and the completed voucher to either of the Boys & Girls Clubs locations.
The voucher will be processed for full reimbursement through a check issued against a local bank.
Parents or guardians who are without an automobile can contact club volunteer Stephen Rosales for assistance arranging transportation to the Department of Licensing office.
To reach Rosales, phone 360-683-8095.
Brian Zimmer, Coalition for a Secure Driver’s License president, said the most recent identity theft statistics show that hundreds of thousands of child identities are stolen each year in the U.S.
Zimmer said Washington is one of the top 10 states for identity theft because people are not careful and banks are not careful.
Zimmer said the children identification cards should be renewed every five years and be “transportable” in an age of families on the move.
According to Zimmer, criminals employ counterfeit ID cars or valid ID cars obtained using a child’s biographical information and Social Security number.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
