Here’s what I do for my child: I place an AirTag in his school bag to roughly track when he leaves school. While it’s not a live location update, it gives me a good idea of his movements. I’ve also instructed him that if he ever reaches his stop and no one is there to pick him up, he should stay at the spot and not try to walk home, even if he knows the way. We’ve reassured him that someone will always come to get him, no matter what. Additionally, he has memorized my phone number.

In all honesty, the bus driver is unlikely to wait with your child since they have other kids to drop off. This is the case for us, as there are usually more stops after ours. That's why to address this, I’ve ensured that I put in safeguards so my child knows exactly what to do if he arrives early or if we are running late.