Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

North Edmonton Family Day Home Agency ("NEFDHA", "we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or use our services.

This policy complies with Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).

By using our website or submitting information through our forms, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when you:

• Child Care Enquiry Forms: Parent/guardian name, phone number, email address, postal code, child's age and birthdate, current care arrangements, schedule needs, special considerations (allergies, medical needs, behavioral considerations), preferred language, subsidy status
• Educator Enquiry Forms: Name, contact information, address, previous experience, certifications, employment history, references
• General Contact Forms: Name, email address, phone number, message content

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, certain information is collected automatically through Cloudflare's services:

• IP address (used for security and performance optimization)
• Browser type and version
• Device type and operating system
• Pages visited and time spent
• Referring website

Note: We do not use Google Analytics or other third-party analytics services. Website analytics are provided through Cloudflare's built-in analytics, which are privacy-focused and do not track individual users across websites.

Sensitive Information

Our child care enquiry form may collect sensitive information about children, including:

• Health information (allergies, medical conditions, medications)
• Developmental information
• Behavioral considerations

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• Service Delivery: To process your enquiries and match families with suitable family day home educators
• Communication: To respond to your questions, provide information about our services, and send updates about your enquiry status
• Referral Services: To share relevant information with educators who may be a good match for your child care needs
• Record Keeping: To maintain accurate records as required by Alberta's Family Day Home Standards
• Service Improvement: To improve our website and services based on usage patterns and feedback
• Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws and regulations

4. Disclosure of Information

We may share your personal information with:

• Approved Educators: Relevant enquiry details may be shared with family day home educators in our network who may be a suitable match for your needs. This sharing is essential for our referral services.
• Government Agencies: When required by law or for licensing/regulatory compliance (e.g., Alberta Children's Services)
• Service Providers: Third-party service providers who assist in operating our website and services (see Section 5)

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

5. Third-Party Services

Our website uses the following third-party services that may collect or process data:

Cloudflare

We use Cloudflare for website security, performance optimization, and DDoS protection. Cloudflare may process:

• IP addresses (for security and bot detection)
• Request headers and cookies
• Website traffic data

Learn more: Cloudflare Privacy Policy

Cloudflare Turnstile

We use Cloudflare Turnstile on our forms to prevent spam and automated abuse. This service may collect:

• Browser characteristics
• Mouse movements and interaction patterns
• IP address

Google Maps API

Our "Find an Educator" feature uses Google Maps to display educator locations. When using this feature:

• Your browser may share location data with Google (if you allow)
• Google may collect usage data according to their privacy policy

Learn more: Google Privacy Policy

Microsoft Office 365

We use Microsoft Office 365 for email communications. When you email us or receive emails from us, this data is processed through Microsoft's servers.

Learn more: Microsoft Privacy Statement

Font Awesome

We use Font Awesome Pro for website icons. When our website loads, icon fonts are fetched from Font Awesome's content delivery network. This may involve:

• Your IP address being logged by Font Awesome's servers
• Standard web request information (browser type, referring page)

Learn more: Font Awesome Privacy Policy

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law:

• Active Enquiries: Retained until placement is complete or enquiry is withdrawn
• Completed Enquiries: Retained for up to 7 years for record-keeping and potential future enquiries
• Educator Applications: Active applications retained indefinitely; declined applications retained for 2 years
• General Contact Messages: Retained for 1 year
• Website Analytics: Anonymized and retained for up to 2 years

You may request deletion of your personal information at any time (see Section 8: Your Privacy Rights).

7. Cookies and Tracking

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

Essential Cookies

Required for the website to function properly. These cannot be disabled and include:

• Session management cookies
• Security cookies (CSRF protection)
• Cloudflare security cookies

Functional Cookies

Used to remember your preferences and enhance your experience:

• Form progress (so you can resume incomplete forms)
• Cookie consent preferences

Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling essential cookies may affect website functionality.

8. Your Privacy Rights

Under PIPEDA and Alberta PIPA, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: You have the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: You have the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements
• Withdrawal of Consent: You may withdraw your consent to the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information at any time
• Complaint: You have the right to file a complaint with the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Privacy Officer using the information in Section 12.

We will respond to your request within 30 days, as required by law. Identity verification may be required to protect your privacy.

9. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
• Encryption of sensitive data at rest
• Secure password requirements and multi-factor authentication for staff
• Regular security updates and monitoring
• Limited access on a need-to-know basis
• Staff training on privacy and data protection

While we take reasonable precautions, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Children's Privacy

Our services involve collecting information about children for child care placement purposes. We take special care with this information:

• Information about children is collected from parents/guardians, not directly from children
• We collect only information necessary for child care placement and safety
• Children's information is shared only with educators being considered for placement
• We do not use children's information for marketing purposes

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will:

• Post the updated policy on this page with a new "Last Updated" date
• Notify users of material changes via email or website notice where appropriate

We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact our Privacy Officer:

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact: