How do you go about getting working papers for a child model?

My granddaughter was approached for the same thing. I suggest you ask the modeling agency. They should have all that sort of information. Before you start saving for college or a car, you might want to invest some of that money into acting lessons. It will give her an excellent experience, and make her much more marketable as she gets older. When my granddaugher was approached by an agency, because she was older, they strongly suggested that she get lessons. I could be wrong, but I also seem to remember they wanted her to get professional pictures made for her portfolio. The initial picture taking session can be expensive, so you might ask relatives for help…perhaps a Christmas present that would “keep on giving.”

You contact the State Department of Labor about getting a certificate. Here is the one for New York as an example.

In California, you need to open a special trust account. The bank will know what it is called. You will not be able to access it, and a percentage is set aside for when they turn 18. You will have expenses and some money can go towered that. But not the money from the special account.) Otherwise, t security number and an Agent. Some of the best also have managers. The Agent is familiar with the child labor laws and will make sure everything is in compliance. That’s one of the things they do to earn their percentage of your Childs earnings.

my daughter is 14 and has a modeling contract. She doesn’t have working papers, and files a 1099 tax return- her money is put into mutual funds (part of it), I think it depends on what state you are in.

@snowberry We are already signed with an agency and had professional pictures taken… but that was a year ago. It was extremely expensive… I think everything totaled out to be almost $600. We had comp cards made and everything. The agent suggested that she has new pictures taken every year. I cannot afford that again… at least not through the agency its self. The guy who took the pictures though he’ supposed to be a professional wasn’t even that great. I can take better pictures than him. At Babies R Us’s Kiddie Kandid’s, they’ll put all of their pictures on a cd for us and they are only like $80 for a whole shoot (about 12 different shots). That includes print outs and everything.

I’m not happy with the agent that signed my daughter at all. I think she’s a fluke and ripped me off. I think the contract was only for a year so I’m going to start looking for another manager.

UGHHHHH.

You should never have to pay a ton of money out of pocket if people are truly interested in you as a model. They are usually willing to pay for you, if they want you badly enough. When I was about 13, and way too shy for modeling, I was approached and offered a contract. My parents were told that they didn’t have to pay for anything, and this was coming from a legitimate modeling agency.

It sounds very much as if the modelling agency is recruiting people in order to make a profit from portfolio photographs. Your comment about the quality of photographs only enhances my suspicion that you have been taken for a ride.

When my son was modeling we paid a photographer, The agent helped us design the zed cards and had them printed ourselves. That was a few years ago. You should be able to upload whatever photyos you want to some great intranet companies and get a quality zed card just by googling zed cards