Privacy Policy

Ilmo Childcare & Kindergarten (ABN: 91 636 503 850) (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the personal information we collect from parents/guardians, children, employees, and visitors in connection with providing our childcare and kindergarten services.

We collect personal information reasonably necessary for our functions and activities. This may include:

• Parents/Guardians: Names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, emergency contact details, billing and payment details, Centrelink Customer Reference Numbers (CRNs) for Child Care Subsidy (CCS) purposes, employment details (sometimes required for CCS), opinions/preferences about our services.
• Children: Names, dates of birth, developmental summaries/records, dietary requirements, allergies, medical conditions, immunisation records, CRNs, photographs/videos (with consent), specific care needs, court orders or parenting plans (where relevant).
• Website Visitors: IP address, browser type, operating system, pages visited, date/time of visit (collected via cookies or analytics).
  Employees/Applicants: As required for employment purposes (details provided separately).

 

Some information we collect, particularly health information about children (allergies, medical conditions, developmental records, immunisation status), is classified as ‘sensitive information’ under the Privacy Act. We only collect sensitive information with consent or where required/authorised by law.

We collect personal information directly from you whenever reasonably possible, through:

• Enrolment forms, waitlist forms (online or paper).
• Direct communication (phone calls, emails, conversations, our communication app [e.g., Storypark/Xplor – Specify if known]).
• Our website (e.g., contact forms, cookie data).
• Third parties where necessary (e.g., previous childcare centres with your consent, government agencies like Centrelink/Dept. of Education).

We collect, hold, use, and disclose personal information for purposes including:

• Providing high-quality childcare and kindergarten services.
• Processing enrolments and managing waitlists.
• Administering the Child Care Subsidy (CCS).
• Communicating with parents/guardians about their child’s care, development, and centre activities.
• Ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of children in our care (including managing medical needs and emergencies).
• Meeting regulatory and licensing requirements under the Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations.
• Managing payments and accounts.
• Improving our services and centre operations.
• Addressing inquiries and complaints.
• Staff recruitment and management.

We use personal information primarily for the purposes outlined above. We may disclose personal information to:

• Our staff members who require the information to perform their duties.
• Government agencies (e.g., Centrelink/Services Australia, Department of Education) as required for CCS administration, funding, licensing, and reporting.
• Emergency services (police, ambulance, doctors) in case of emergency.
• Our third-party service providers who assist us in operating our centre (e.g., communication app providers [Specify app if known], IT support, payment processors, auditors, legal advisors – List types). We take reasonable steps to ensure these providers comply with privacy obligations.
• Prescribed bodies under child protection legislation, if we have concerns about a child’s welfare.
• Other parties where required or authorised by law or a court/tribunal order.
• Anyone to whom you have provided consent for disclosure.

We do not sell personal information to third parties. We will only disclose sensitive information for a secondary purpose with consent, or where required/permitted by law (e.g., emergency situations).

We may use your contact details to send you information about centre updates, events, or newsletters. You can opt-out of receiving marketing communications at any time by contacting us or using the unsubscribe link provided.

Some of our third-party service providers (e.g., cloud storage, communication apps) may store or process data outside Australia. Where we disclose personal information overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure the recipient handles the information in accordance with the APPs, such as through contractual clauses.

We take reasonable steps to ensure the personal information we collect, use, and disclose is accurate, complete, and up-to-date. We also take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure through measures including:

• Secure physical storage of paper records.
• Password protection, access controls, and encryption for electronic records.
• Staff training on privacy obligations.
• Secure disposal of information no longer required.

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you or your child, and to request corrections if you believe it is inaccurate, incomplete, or out-of-date.

Please contact our Privacy Officer to make a request. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe. We may need to verify your identity. Access may be refused in certain circumstances permitted by the Privacy Act, but we will provide reasons for any refusal.

If you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles or mishandled your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer with details of your complaint. We will investigate the matter and respond to you promptly.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you can lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

• Online: www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-complaints
• Phone: 1300 363 992

Our website may use ‘cookies’ (small text files stored on your device) to enhance user experience and analyse website traffic. Cookies may collect information like your IP address, browser type, and pages visited. You can usually modify your browser settings to decline cookies, but this may affect website functionality.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. The updated version will be posted on our website. We encourage you to review it periodically.