Technology is everywhere these days, and there’s no denying its benefits. As a foster carer, it’s your responsibility to make sure the environment is safe and secure for children in your home, and this extends to the online world. Unfortunately, due to the dangers and the nature of the internet, putting a number of protective measures in place will be beneficial.
Encrypted Folders and Limited Account Access
Whether you’re working alongside Fosterplus or another reputable agency, you will have plenty of sensitive communications and files stored on your PC. Therefore, to prevent these from being read or deleted, put them into an encrypted folder.
Even with files stored inside a secure folder, anyone logged in with an administrator account can still view them. Therefore, you should only allow your foster children to access the computer on a non-administrator account. These types of user accounts restrict access to the entire operating system, so they can only use the device as is without making any changes.
Parental Control Software
Computers typically come with Windows installed, and this operating system (OS) already has some parental controls built-in. For example, you can limit the amount of time a user can be logged in and you can prevent inappropriate websites by using the Reputation Manager. You will find these settings by visiting Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Family options.
If the tools found in this section aren’t good enough, you can follow this link to explore the best parental control software.
Install Email Filters
Given how computers and the internet work, there’s most likely an email account logged in and it will be susceptible to spam. Now, if you’ve ever read your spam folder, you’ll know that it’s not always suitable for youthful eyes. Therefore, to prevent your foster children from innocently seeing something they shouldn’t, make sure you activate powerful spam filters.
Many email providers have filters as standard, but you can take it a step further. For example, if you click the settings cog in the corner of Gmail, you can input untrusted words for it to also filter. This will then prevent any explicit material from coming through.
Use the Router to Block Website Access
Children these days are born into technology, and the way they interact with it supersedes our expectations. Although this is great for their critical thinking and future prospects, it means many of them can bypass computer-installed website blockers. Therefore, we recommend blocking undesirable websites using your router, meaning any device on your WiFi network won’t have access to them – regardless of what they try to do.
If you’re not that tech-savvy, it can be a tricky process, which is why the majority of ISPs (internet service providers) will have tutorials to follow. Additionally, their support teams will be able to remote access your PC.
Your foster children should be allowed access to technology, as it’s a great source of entertainment and education. However, you need to explore different means of keeping unwanted content away, and you can start with the steps outlined above.