OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT/Gray News) – A Nebraska father intends to change his 2-year-old daughter’s legal name after fighting for months to get her a Social Security number.
Jason Kilburn has been struggling to change his 2-year-old daughter’s name and get her a Social Security number. Right now, her name is Unakite Thirteen Hotel, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
Kilburn says it’s a computer-generated name, and he wants to change it to Caroline Elizabeth Kilburn, WOWT reports.
After the toddler was born in Iowa, she spent more than a year in foster care. Her mother was accused of using drugs while pregnant and continuously neglecting her, among other things, by the Douglas County Attorney’s Office.
Kilburn now has custody of his daughter but told WOWT he couldn’t get her insurance or put her in daycare because she had no Social Security number or useable birth certificate.
Since Kilburn’s story was shared, his attorney, Josh Livingston, says it’s gotten a lot of attention, and they’ve gotten more participation from government agencies.
Livingston said last Wednesday that the toddler now has a Social Security number.
“Mr. Kilburn has been in this fight for a long time now, and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, I think, is a huge relief for him,” he said. “I’m so happy that we were able to report this update.”
Livingston said he believes the toddler should be eligible for insurance and Medicaid benefits now.
He and Kilburn are putting together a court motion to get Iowa to update the little girl’s birth certificate. After that, Kilburn will work to legally change her name to Caroline.
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