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Just In Time For The Holidays 2025
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In Their Own Words
Former foster youth, identity theft and recovery
February 9, 2023
Upcoming events
February 11: Last day of Welcome Back Week
February 14: Pathways Workshop
February 16: New Volunteer Info Session
February 17: College Bound Workshop
February 20: Presidents Day OFFICE CLOSED
My name is Kyra. I am the second oldest of 8 siblings, who, on most days, called me Mom because I was more present for them, than our own mother was.
When I was 15, I went into foster care and was cut off from them.
My foster parents weren’t prepared to foster children. They hadn’t taken any classes or training, and already had 3 kids. I lived with them off and on. At 17, I started working and saving to move out. I learned that I needed a decent credit score to rent an apartment.
It came as a shock when I learned that I already had a credit score, even though I wasn’t supposed to, and that it was 319.
I was stunned and confused. How was this even possible?
On the Credit Karma website, I learned I had delinquent accounts opened in my name for the past 16 to 17 years.
My biological father had opened “guardian” accounts using my social security number, and even gotten business loans under my name. My name was even listed on the public record for a business that was started shortly after I was born.
I was overwhelmed. And still, things got worse.
Shortly after I turned 18, my foster parents handed me all my belongings in trash bags, in the middle of the night and told me to leave. I had no car and nowhere to go. I ended up living in a car with my toxic boyfriend while starting the process of using Extended Foster Care to pay towards my rent. After I signed a lease, I learned my placement didn’t meet the requirements of Extended Foster Care, and I was forced to leave the system.
At this moment, every part of me wanted to give up.
But I didn’t.
I became a full-time student and worked 4 jobs. I became a self-taught expert on credit recovery.
I spent hours on the phone re-telling my story to strangers who, ultimately, couldn’t help me.
I wrote endless applications and appeals to credit bureaus, a tedious process, to remove fraudulent accounts from my credit report.
All of this took several years.
I Joined Just in Time’s Financial Fitness service, which helped me so with my Financial Literacy Journey.
Today, I’m a homeowner with an 800-credit score. I’m married and have a beautiful son who already has a college fund and a ROTH IRA set up. I also went from being a Just in Time participant to a Just in Time employee as their Impact & Systems Data Manager.
I’m active in the lives of my siblings. I spend as much time with them as possible. They may not know it, but they were my saviors. The thought of them is how I was able to persevere and push forward.
I want them AND my own son to have the smart money skills that weren’t taught to me. I don’t want anyone in the former foster youth community to be victims of identity theft or fraud because I know how alone and helpless it can make you feel.
