Security Measures in Foster Care

We did respite over the weekend, as I have mentioned, for T. On Saturday her foster mother called to tell me that T had called her at midnight to say hi. She told me that T like to "play with the phone" and that she make certain that all the phones are in her room at night. She sounded surprised that I did not take such routine precautions.

Poop.

We have phones all over the house. Back when Carl was here we put a block on the phone so that you had to know the secret code in order to make any long distance calls. We cancelled that when we got cell phones and could just let the kids borrow those once the free minutes kicked in. So we gathered them up. Now we are waiting for the phone bill to see just how much fun she had playing with the phone.

Grrr...

So I thought I would propose a question: what are your "routine" or not so routine security measures? What do you do to prevent trouble? I'll brainstorm my list and maybe you all can leave more in the comments.


Prescription meds locked up
I always put my purse in my bedroom (for a while I had a locking toolbox I put it in).
Security code on the phone.
Internet child protection software.
Every child has his own lock-box (cash box size).*
Every bedroom has a keyed lock (I have keys to them all).*
Bioboys video equipment is in a wheeled cart and it is wheeled into Andrew's room when we do respite.


Other families I know:
Motion sensor alarms that go off if the kids leave their bedrooms or the bedroom wing of the house.
Alarm system that alert them if any window or door is opening in the house.
ALL potentially harmful chemicals and sharp objects are kept locked up.
Telephone control -- some have only hand sets which the kids have to check out.
Mandy who has a lot of girls who would spend their life on the phone. Her husband worked figured out how to build a pay phone which works on tokens they give the girls.

*The kids don't use them. The point is more that they can.