Guidelines to Confidentiality

As our family begins this new chapter in our lives, I thought it important to share with you the confidentiality guidelines that we were given by our agency and will be expected to follow. They are as follows...

Guidelines to Confidentiality

•      Confidentiality should not be kept between you and your Angels Worker.

 It is of utmost importance that your Angels Worker knows what is going on (incidents, information, positive-negative feelings, impacts on family) so we can offer quality support.

•      Case details or bio-family information or stories are shared on only a “need to know” basis.

“Need to Know” people = Angels Social Worker, County Worker, Attorneys.

NOT “Need to Know” people: your neighbor, friends, other Angels families

•      Relevant case details or bio-family information can be shared with service providers or other professionals or alternative caregivers.

For example: sharing relevant background so alternative caregiver understands the child’s behaviors or needs. Giving doctor medical history or protective issue information.

•      Never post case information, child’s name, or photos on any social media outlet.

•      Remind your friends and family of confidentiality and not to post pictures of child anywhere.

•      Special considerations for communicating with other Angels Families:

•      Do not mass/group email Angels Foster Families unless it’s something very basic like announcing placement of a child (first name only, NO case details, can attach a pic).

•      Do not share case details or bio-family information.

•      If you are seeking support or guidance or expressing hardships, please do so to other individual, not a group.

•      Please remember no two fostering experiences, perceptions, or case dynamics are the same.

 

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Now that you know what we cannot share, it's very important that I ask you to do the same. We will be Skyping with our family and close friends and because of that, many of you will have the opportunity to know this child's name, accidentally take a picture of this child or receive a family photo including this child. You are also expected NOT TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION on ANY social media.

 

No Facebook posts including any information about the foster child will be accepted.

 

I also ask that you do not take it personally if something that you say or ask is deleted from my Facebook page or if I ask you remove a picture of the foster child from your page.

 

These are our rules and we appreciate your support.

 

Please trust me when I say that I hate these rules just as much as the rest of you, but we must do what is best for the child and it's family.

 

I would also like to add that I am very much on top of the rules and regulations regarding my title as 'Foster Mom' and do not appreciate having someone question my knowledge and understanding of such over Facebook. If you do not approve of my actions or feel as though I am acting in such a way that is detrimental to our foster child then please have the manners and sense to private message me or email me. I give my email out for these exact reasons and it can be found by clicking the "OUR STORY" tab on the right side of the screen. 

 

I try very hard to keep my Facebook page (both personal and blog page) free of drama, but I cannot promise to bite my tongue the next time that someone tries to correct me in a passive aggressive way. I don't respond well to "know-it-alls" and do take offense to that.

 

Thank you!