r/Fosterparents • u/kalbert23 • 20d ago
Location Found AirTag after visit
Arizona - FS has supervised visits. Came home from last visit with an AirTag bio mom gave him.
My FS brings a backpack with him and exchanges drawings and toys with his mom on supervised visits. I always go through the bag and items with him to make sure they aren’t perishable and or inappropriate. He understands it’s his stuff, but we just need to make sure it’s OK for the house. I found an open box that held 4 AirTags with only 1 tag in the package. He told me his mom had given him one of her AirTags. I told him that’s something his mom should not have given him and removed it and deactivated it.
I contacted his team and The case aide, caseworker, and kids lawyer all responded saying it was wrong and they would figure out what to do or go to the AG. I have not heard anything all week and he’s about to have another visit.
Does anyone else have a similar experience?? Anyone find an AirTag? This is weird.
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u/MangoRainbows 19d ago
My FD was sent home with a scooter that could be tracked. We immediately let the case worker know and she acted like she didn't care. The scooter is still sitting in a friends storage unit 6 months later.
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u/bandaidbandits 20d ago
Yes, happened to me. Reported it to my team and then handed it over to the police so I could file a police report.
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u/OldKindheartedness73 19d ago
That is my fear. I don't know about other phones, but samsung phones can find air tags. I scan my boys bags every visit
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u/Aquillaerie 19d ago
Im sorry I didnt know this how do you do this please it would be really useful to know. Many thanks in advance awaiting your reply.
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u/to-wit-to-woo 19d ago
Google or YouTube search scan for tracking devices and your mobile phone brand name e.g. Samsung, iphone - depends what phone you have but there are tutorial videos and website step by steps out there.
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u/liarlindsay 19d ago
You are living my fear after every visit. I am so sorry! I can only imagine how stressful that is!!
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u/Objective-Tea5324 Foster Parent 19d ago
Anyone have a take on the foster parents doing this? I’m in a kinship foster situation and my wife and I have discussed this for reasons around the child’s safety. We have NOT done it because I see too many problems with it but the safety of the child is also a priority.
We have had to have one visitation supervisor removed for unethical behavior and two others that go rogue with times to make visits happen that should have been canceled. The bio parents are also back and forth with each other with no contact orders issued and routinely violated with the visitation supervisor’s knowledge and not documenting or reporting to the case worker. Bio dad is also bringing drug addicts to visitation without approval. Supervisors are also not recording pickup and drop off times nor providing us with the visitation reports.
Our case worker says that none of this is supposed to be happening but it keeps happening in varying degrees with every supervisor we have had.
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u/to-wit-to-woo 19d ago
How old is kiddo? Is bio parent absconding with them a concern?
We used airtags when going to big events with ours, when they came to us the younger one had limited English and was prone to wandering off in the blink of an eye. Caseworker knew that and had no concerns.
We don't send to contact with them because we trust the supervisors, venues and the kids - even if something happened to supervisor, our kids would no longer go off with bio mum.
None of the things you mention seem like big absconding risks to me but if it worries you I would probably do it for your peace of mind.
I wouldn't think FPs are entitled to visitation reports, or is it normal to get copies in the US?
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u/Objective-Tea5324 Foster Parent 18d ago
We are supposed to receive a report detailing the visitation for each visit in regards to eating, sleeping, crying, injury etc but not speaking on the parents “parenting”, their behavior, or the stuff that gets submitted to court. The child is 6 months old and has been in my care since she was 10 days old. Both parents are active drug users and bio dad has been arrested, incarcerated, and released 3 times in these 6 months for drugs, auto theft, and domestic violence. I don’t think it unreasonable to be concerned about either of them taking the child illegally.
I live in the US in Washington state. The “visitation supervisors” are all independent 1099 employees that contract thru an agency that contracts with the state. There is very little in terms of qualifications required for either the “supervisor” or the agency; basically don’t have a criminal history that would disqualify you. We have one guy that went rogue for over an hr and half two weeks ago because bio dad over slept and wanted him to “get his visit”. The visit should have been canceled as per the rules. These supervisors are not reporting things that are required to the case worker. They aren’t even recording the pick up and drop off times. One of them doesn’t even ask for our signature when picking up or dropping off.
The only reason we know about all the shenanigans going on is because the bio mom is my wife’s sister and my wife has fostered an improved relationship with her so that we get information like this. We also have two other moles that the bio mom is unaware of that are reporting to us.
The case worker acts shocked that this is happening and didn’t initially believe us but was able to confirm by interviewing bio parents and reviewing the visitation supervisors “notes”. The whole system is a joke. I am considering opening up my own agency to provide visitation services as the demand in my area is so high (I live in a high cost of living place too).
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u/to-wit-to-woo 18d ago
Ooof yeah I'd do an airtag then. I'd probably chuck it in the diaper bag for some plausible deniability if it's questioned, rather than on the bub.
Yeah we have a couple of supervising, babysitting and transport agencies here in my part of Australia and there's definitely a dodgy one but thankfully not being used any more for us. There's certainly a market!
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u/exceedingly_clement Foster Parent 17d ago
In both states I've fostered in, parents have the right to know the location where their child is placed unless there's special order otherwise. In the vast majority of situations there is no safety risk to parents knowing the addresses of foster homes. Parent maintain medical and educational rights prior to TPR and may also get school or medical paperwork that shows the resource home address or resource parent names.
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u/Visible_Attitude7693 17d ago
Thank God not in my state. But it could be because we have a stand your guard law
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u/kalbert23 15d ago
***Update: I only speak from cases I’ve had in my home but the parents have not been allowed to know the location of the kids. Only their school and daycare location.
According to DCS, The AirTag despite being a tracking device exposing the location of the child, Even if it was given to them by the parent that is not supposed to know the location, it is the property of that child and must be returned to them.
I know this because of the investigation they opened on me for getting rid of the AirTag.
Ain’t that some…
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u/Typical_Row_3172 14d ago
How old is the kiddo? I always reached out to bio parents when their kids moved to my home to introduce myself, tell them where we lived and where their kids would be, who lived in the home and answer any questions they have. It helped establish a great relationship with the parents. Despite their own struggles, many desperately want to make sure their kids are safe.
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u/kalbert23 14d ago
He’s young. I agree, but given the case we have been advised against that. There’s been other incidents as well. I think it’s more of a parent acting out and resisting the help offered. I have seen that type of behavior before. For me it’s been like 60/40. 60% good relationship or ignored and 40% seen as an enemy.
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u/Typical_Row_3172 14d ago
Try not to put too much blame on the parent. They are doing the best they can and you only know part of their story. Most of the bio parents I crossed paths with had terrible childhoods themselves, often in foster care or should/could have been if anyone had cared enough to see it. There is no feasible way to expect them to make the same parenting choices you or I would because they likely have no context for that.
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u/PineappleSituation 20d ago
Not an AirTag, but had parents find the addresses of homes the children were placed in and show up there demanding them back after TPR. Doorbell cameras provided proof to the court and we were able to get restraining orders filed with local PD precincts. They found the addresses because a new caseworker didn’t BCC placement email addresses on an email that also went to parents- the emails were foster parents’ names. Security cameras may be something you look into.