Lock Family Location Sharing but keep the option to temporary location share with others, is it possible?

Hello lexi19,

Please check out this link, which explains how to share locations with family members, and outlines the available options, which may be helpful: Share locations with family members and locate their lost devices on iPhone

Share locations with family members and locate their lost devices on iPhone

With Family Sharing, you can share your location with members of your Family Sharing group and help them find lost devices. When the family organizer sets up location sharing in Family Sharing settings, the organizer’s location is automatically shared with everyone in the family, including any new members added later. Then, family members can choose whether or not to share their location.

Share your location with family members

When you share locations with your family, they can see your location in Find My. You can also get notified when family members change their locations—for example, if a child leaves school during school hours.

1. Go to Settings > [your name] > Family Sharing, then scroll down and tap Location.

2. Tap the name of a family member you want to share your location with.

You can repeat this step for each family member you want to share your location with. Each family member receives a message that you’re sharing your location and can choose to share their location with you.

You can stop sharing your location with any family member at any time.

Note: Children and teens with Screen Time turned on may not be able to change their own location sharing settings.

To share your location, you must have Location Services turned on in Settings  > Privacy & Security. See Control the location information you share on iPhone.

Thanks!

The actual setting that you’re looking for is a screen time restriction on your child’s device referred to in the 1st reply.

More detail is available here:

Use parental controls on your child's iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support

There is a lot of confusion because the settings available for managing another family member's screen time through Family Sharing from the family organizer's device are very different than the settings on that managed device itself. It seems that only on the device itself is the "Location Services (Allow Changes / Don't Allow Changes)" setting available.

When managing a family members screen time settings through Family Sharing , "Location Services" isn't one of the options. There is however a setting for "Share My Location (Allow/Don't Allow)" but it is unclear what that setting actually does, and it isn't described anywhere in Apple's documentation. Does it prevent the managed family member from changing that setting (so they can't turn off location sharing), or just prevent them from sharing their location with others?

Agree that it sometimes feels like fighting a multi-headed organism.

Keeping focused on an adult wanting to keep tabs on their kids:

Step 1)

On the kid’s phone: Settings -> AppleID ->

Family -> Location Sharing -> Set as appropriate.

Step 2)

To lock-in Step 1 on the kid’s phone: Settings -> ScreenTime -> Content & Privacy Restrictions -> Restrict Account Changes, Passcode Changes, and Mobile Data Changes.

Note: ScreenTime on your kid’s phone should be locked with a passcode known only to you AND able to be unlocked with YOUR AppleID (NOT your kid’s)

It’s also essential thad your kid’s NOT know your AppleID credentials.