Insurance agents: Nothing sinister in taking out policy on child
The role of life insurance for children has emerged as an issue since Ayla's mother, Trista Reynolds, contends that she learned from state police that Ayla's father Justin DiPietro bought a policy on the child. Reynolds shared the information on www.aylareynolds.com , a family-run website. Ayla was 20 months old when she was reported missing Dec. 17.
Local insurance agents said the reasons for buying insurance for a child vary from making the child easier to insure later in life to providing money for college or beyond and most parents don't buy a policy with an eye toward collecting a benefit if the child dies.
The lack of information about the investigation into the toddler's disappearance has raised the question what role the insurance policy plays. State police won't confirm the existence of the policy and Ayla's father, Justin DiPietro, could not be reached for comment.
Covering children with life insurance policies is routine, according to a senior official at the state agency that regulates insurance companies and brokers in Maine said.