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Foster parents and iPads

I want to crowd source this question - and I understand that the best answer may be to buy a new one. I just want to check, so I can let other foster parents in our association know.


I am a foster parent. Today we encountered a new issue with a parent sending our child - let’s call him Kyle (age 2) - home with his iPad. His caseworker knew to turn off location services as soon as they got in the car. However, when Kyle got home I noticed he was sharing his location with mom/dad and others. I and stopped sharing with everyone I could see him share with in previous chats. Then I got nervous, thinking they could have tracked it between the park, daycare, and home, and turned it off.


What can I do when a foster kid brings home an iPad? I can’t sign out of his Apple ID, because I don’t know the password. This bothers me, because I want to turn on screen time, time limits, etc, like I do for my biological son (age 9). If the location services are turned off in that one button in settings does that turn off ALL location services immediately, or are some (such as “share my location” and “find my IPad”)? Does this mean the parent was able to track the iPad until it got to me and I stopped it? Since I can’t set up a new iCloud, turn off Find My iPhone, or set up screen time limits without the password to his current account is the answer to buy an iPad for our family that is for our foster kids until they return home?


We have a good relationship with Kyle’s parents, I think, but it is new. Many foster families do not want the biological family to know where they lives, and sometimes safety dictates that they cannot know or communicate with their children outside of explicitly supervised visits. What do we, as foster families, need to think about when an iPad or iPhone comes home?



iPad (6th gen) WiFi

Posted on Jun 5, 2020 5:58 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jun 5, 2020 6:08 PM

Hello,


In these instances if you cannot gain access to this iPad’s associated Apple ID’s credentials then the best thing would be to purchase another iPad and create an Apple ID just for him. This would allow you to have full control of the device.


If you are able to gain access to his existing Apple ID’s credentials then I would suggest signing him out completely and sign in with a new Apple ID, one that you would control.

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4 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jun 5, 2020 6:08 PM in response to lovedbyGod2

Hello,


In these instances if you cannot gain access to this iPad’s associated Apple ID’s credentials then the best thing would be to purchase another iPad and create an Apple ID just for him. This would allow you to have full control of the device.


If you are able to gain access to his existing Apple ID’s credentials then I would suggest signing him out completely and sign in with a new Apple ID, one that you would control.

Jun 5, 2020 7:11 PM in response to lovedbyGod2

To me, this seems like something you want to raise with the State/local agency overseeing foster care as they would be the ones to set up a policy to deal with that sort of situation and provide guidance to you in how to deal with it.


It is not just Apple devices that apply in these situations, but honestly any electronic device - smart phone, tablet, laptop. Regardless of manufacturer or operating system, they all have location based systems on them, and all can be tracked.

Foster parents and iPads

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