SEQUIM — The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula is again offering state identification cards to children in an effort to protect them from identity theft and ease the hassle of boarding a plane or traveling abroad.
KIDS, launched as a pilot program in 2009 through the Sequim and Port Angeles clubs, reimburses parents for the cost of state ID cards issued to their children during the program period.
The program is provided by the nonprofit Coalition for a Secure Driver’s License and will be offered until March 1.
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.
More than 100 families
Since 2009, more than 100 families have participated through the voucher program, and more than 130 children have obtained Washington State Enhanced IDs at no cost to the parents.
Mary Budke, Boys & Girls Club executive director, said parent reimbursements for the IDs are made possible through a private donation from Kendall.
“The campaign is timed to align both with our Boys & Girls Clubs membership renewal period and the potential additional time parents and children have during the holiday season during which they can schedule a trip to the Department of Licensing,” Budke said.
“Families often schedule travel by air during the winter school break, and having a state-issued ID for a child helps move through airport security with less hassle.”
The reimbursement will cover either the “standard” or “enhanced” identification card issued by the state Department of Licensing.
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.
Getting the card
Phone Budke in Sequim at 360-683-8095 or Port Angeles Unit Director George Rodes at 360-417-2831.
The Sequim unit at 400 West Fir St. is open from 9 am. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Port Angeles unit, 2620 S. Francis St., is open from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Voucher in hand, parents can plan when best to 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.
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 to 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. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
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. Phone Rosales at 360-683-8095.
Brian Zimmer, Coalition for a Secure Driver’s License president, said the most recent identity theft statistics from the Federal Trade Commission show that between 400,000 and 500,000 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 aren’t careful, banks aren’t careful.”
Zimmer said the children identification cards should be renewed every five years and be “transportable” in an age of families on the move.
In a prepared statement, Kendall said, “With the renewed KIDS campaign, I’m delighted that the Boys & Girls Club understands the need to protect children’s identities from theft and fraud.”
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.