13 Websites That Are Sharing Identifying Information On Foster Parents
…And all parents, really. And: the reports show people associated by marriage or other connection that has ever been reported through a school, census, rental agreement, marriage, or business. Depending on your online activities and social connections, this could also link the children you’ve fostered to you and your home address.
The sites mentioned are not SUPPOSED to reveal any information on a minor. This is a great goal, however, unrealistic. Adults are allowing minors to have accounts online for infinite reasons these days. Just adjust the birthday on the sign-up form… and wah-lah.
Or, if you’ve broken Foster Parenting Rules #1, #2, or #3 for online activity… then, again… wah-lah!
Click here to read what you’ve missed: How Public Is Your Information? Plus, 3 Rules For Protecting Foster Youth Online
I recommend that you take your time going through this list and checking every single service carefully. Sometimes a request to remove your information or adjust your settings takes a couple of business days. Keep track of your request on a notepad and follow up. Make sure it comes down.
Also, beware of the spam-y e-mails that will follow your interactions. I actually opened a burner e-mail account for this specific task. #ProTip
Ancestry.com
In all those fun bonding moments, building a family tree with your foster or adoptive child may have just sent a broad invitation to biological family members (or strangers) to an “N’th” degree, to track you down. In this program’s defense, they do not automatically share information of living persons. But what’s to stop someone from making a very reasonable connection when they see this unidentifiable little person’s lineage line up with theirs from the records of the deceased? For my $20-ish subscription fee, when I search for an individual… if they are on your tree, then I can see your tree.
This is one of the easiest sites to fix:
In your Account Settings, select “Your Profile” then choose “Edit name and Location.” In this window, you can modify your trees’ privacy.
BeenVerified.com
Been Verified is also on the easier side of info removal/blocking. First, go to their Opt-Out page and search for your listing. If married, you’ll do this for a maiden name, and again, for your spouse’s name (you can at least start the process for them, but they’ll have to finish it through their follow-up e-mails).
Select your name from the results and enter your email address on the next screen. You’ll get a verification e-mail ‘soonish’ (allow up to 4 hours). Once verified, your information will be removed within 24 hours.
Facebook.com
Here, we take a little turn as I’m providing you a way to request other users taking down images or other identifying information regarding the children that you may have already shared… or, maybe they assumed it was okay.
If you can make the request via a personal message – great!
If things are awkward, or that is not an easy option, then you can do it through the back end, but you’ll need to make sure you can prove the child is under your supervision and a ward of the state. (Scan in a copy of your notice to placement / adoption papers, etc.)
First, copy the link to the item that is sharing the image, video, message, or other media file. It might help to grab a screenshot, too. Then, go to this link to take you to a form to Report a Privacy Violation. Be ready to answer a few filtering questions so that the request can be processed by the right admin. Then, be ready to submit documentation of the child’s legal situation.
Side Note: Be kind. Respect the rights of bio parents. If you are friends with (or stalking) the child’s bio parents/family, leave their posts alone. Until parental rights are officially terminated and you have a document in hand to prove it… then they can post whatever they want about their children. It’s their right. #ProTip
InstantCheckmate.com
Start out with their Opt-Out page. Be prepared for multiple steps and a bit of repetition. They explain: “You must submit a separate request for each name you want removed. For example, removing both you and your spouse requires two separate requests from two separate email addresses” (InstantCheckmate). Each request could take up to 48 hours to process.
This is a really good one to use a burner e-mail addresss for because your request/search will automatically sign you up for spam e-mails. Also, this is good one to watch because they have some clever wording to reroute your path or discourage you, such as, “If you choose to opt out, it’s important to understand that this doesn’t remove your data from public records. …Anyone will still be able to see these records. They’ll just have to use another source” (InstantCheckmate). Whatever. Bye Felicia.
Click here to continue: 7 More Websites Foster Parents Need To Contact
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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