Foster Parent Confidentiality On The Web: How ‘Public’ is Your Information?
Do you really know how much information can be found on you …within seconds? You thought you set your “friend” circle filters to a stronger setting, but the webcrawlers have already gleaned your home address, former name(s), phone numbers, addresses from the past 10 years, traffic tickets, and more. And no, this isn’t on a controlled, employer background check service.
Your info is being handed out for free. To anyone.
…Even to people outside of your social network.
As a foster-adoptive parent, this fact gives me the heeby-jeebies. I Googled myself recently and went into sheer panic when I saw what was available.
…And we thought the foster parenting background checks were invasive.
When children’s lives are under the protection of the state, we don’t have the luxury of ignoring our online footprints which could invite trouble in. We need to take steps to guard, not expose our little ones. Before we go over removing your information from data-mining sites, let’s do a quick review.
Three ground rules for online activity as a foster parent:
Rule One: Your Life is Yours & Their Life is Theirs
Remember, foster children are not legally YOUR children. You cannot speak on behalf of their rights and desires to be online, expose their name or location, or even use their image until A) their biological parent’s rights have been terminated, and B) parental rights have been transferred to you in a court hearing.
Obviously, my life is rather public because, well… I make my life public. And I’m about to publish a memoir which makes some deeply private moments open to the world. But there is a limit to where my “life” and perspective ends and where my child’s begins. There – I draw a line.
We have always been very open with what we do online, and I have even asked my child’s permission to share various details. We are teaching him about respect and appropriateness in the process. In my opinion, if an adult can flag content as inappropriate and have it pulled down, then the child should receive that same benefit.
Let me ask you: if your child is able to communicate a “Yes” or “No” in any way, shape, or form (note: I didn’t mention age) …would you allowed them the opportunity to say “Yes/No” to what you’ve shared online? If not: why not?
Click here to continue: Rule #2 and How to Remove Your Personal Information Online
The author writes from an unabashed, had-it-up-to-here, daily defeated and re-strengthened by grace and hope… kind of place. An adoptive mother of a curious kiddo, full of spirit and sass, tells her tales of homeschooling, fostering, and raising children with special needs. Thanks for joining us on this adventure from adoption to life!
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