Hundreds of parents have appeared at Chapala city hall over the past two weeks to obtain official ID cards for their under-age offspring.
The national Cedula de Identidad Personal for minors is issued on a voluntary basis and free of charge for children ages 4 to 17. Information contained in the credential includes the minor’s full name and those of his parents or legal guardians, the child’s CURP number, date of birth and photograph. Registration requires the capture of digital images of the child’s fingerprints and iris.
The ID will eventually be used in lieu of conventional paperwork for enrolling in schools or utilizing many public services. Authorities say it will also be a vital tool in determining identity in child prostitution and missing-persons cases.The federal government aims to have more than 25 million youngsters signed up by the end of this year.