Privacy Policy
1. About this policy
Caterpillar Kidz Dandenong Pty Ltd (ABN 95 701 288 904) operates an early childhood education and childcare service in Dandenong, VIC. We are committed to protecting the privacy of the children in our care, their families, our educators, our staff and our website visitors. This policy explains how we collect, use, hold and disclose personal information, and how you can access and correct the information we hold about you.
2. The Australian Privacy Principles
We are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and comply with the 13 Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) set out in that Act. The APPs govern the collection, use, disclosure, quality, security and access of personal information by Australian organisations. Where we act as an education and care service, we also comply with our obligations under the National Quality Framework and relevant Victorian child protection legislation, which in some circumstances permit or require the handling of personal information differently from the general APP framework.
3. Information we collect
The types of personal information we collect and hold include:
- Enrolment and waitlist information: your child's name, date of birth, gender, cultural background and language spoken at home, along with parent and guardian names, relationships to the child, residential address, email address and emergency contact details.
- Health and medical information: immunisation status, allergies, anaphylaxis and asthma management plans, medical conditions, dietary requirements, and details of any additional support needs, so that we can provide safe and appropriate care.
- Authorised nominee information: names and contact details of people you authorise to collect your child from our service.
- Enquiry information: the name and email address you provide when you complete a form on this website or email us directly.
- Staff and educator information: where relevant to employment or engagement, qualifications, working with children clearance details and other information required by law.
Where practicable, we collect this information directly from you, for example when you join our waitlist, enrol your child, or send us an enquiry. In some circumstances, we may collect information about your child from a previous education and care service, a medical practitioner, or another authorised third party, with your consent or as permitted by law.
4. Sensitive information
Health information, and information about your child's cultural background, may constitute sensitive information under the Privacy Act. We only collect sensitive information where it is reasonably necessary for one or more of our functions as an education and care service, and where you have given your consent, or where the collection is required or authorised by Australian law, such as immunisation record requirements for enrolment in childcare.
5. How we use your information
We use and disclose personal information for the primary purpose of providing early childhood education and care to your child. This includes:
- Assessing and confirming enrolment and waitlist places.
- Planning educational programs and documenting your child's learning and development.
- Meeting our legal and regulatory obligations, including record-keeping requirements under Victorian education and care legislation.
- Communicating with you about your child's day, health, wellbeing and progress.
- Managing incidents, allergies and medical emergencies, including disclosure to medical practitioners where necessary to protect your child's safety.
- Administering payments, the Child Care Subsidy and related government processes.
We may also use your contact details to send you service updates. We will not use your information for any other secondary purpose unless that purpose is related to the primary purpose, you would reasonably expect us to use the information for that purpose, or you have consented.
6. Disclosure of information
We may disclose personal information to:
- Regulatory bodies, including the Victorian Department of Education and the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), where required by law.
- Services Australia and the Department of Human Services for the purposes of Child Care Subsidy administration.
- Medical and emergency services personnel in situations affecting the health and safety of a child.
- Our professional advisers, such as accountants and insurers, where reasonably required for the operation of the service.
We do not sell, rent or trade personal information to third parties for their own marketing purposes.
7. Photographs and learning documentation
As part of our educational program, our educators may photograph children and document their learning. These records are used for program planning, learning stories and room displays. Photographs of your child will only be published on our website, social media channels or promotional materials with your prior written consent, which you may withdraw at any time by contacting us.
8. Security of personal information
We take reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. These steps include secured physical enrolment records, password-protected digital systems, restricted access for authorised staff only, and secure destruction or de-identification of personal information once it is no longer required by law. Education and care records are retained for the periods required under Victorian regulations before being securely destroyed.
9. Data quality
We take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information we collect, use and disclose is accurate, up to date, complete and relevant. We ask that you notify us promptly of any changes to your family's contact details, your child's medical information, or your authorised collection nominees, so that our records remain current.
10. Access and correction
You may request access to the personal information we hold about you or your child, and request corrections to any information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading. To make a request, please email us using the details below. We will respond to your request within a reasonable period. There is no charge for requesting access or correction; however, we may charge a reasonable fee for providing a copy of records where permitted. In limited circumstances, we may refuse access where required or permitted by the APPs, and we will provide written reasons and information about available complaint mechanisms if we do so.
11. Cookies and website data
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to understand how visitors use the site and to improve the browsing experience. Cookies do not identify you personally. You can adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies, although some parts of the site may not function correctly as a result. We do not attempt to identify individual visitors from the technical data collected through our website, other than when you voluntarily provide your details through a form or by email.
12. Direct marketing
We may occasionally send families information about our programs, events and important service updates. Every direct marketing communication will include a simple way for you to opt out, and you may ask us at any time not to send you further marketing communications by replying to any message or by emailing ceo@caterpillarkidzdandenong.site.
13. Overseas disclosure
We aim to store and process personal information within Australia. Some of our digital service providers, such as cloud hosting or email platforms, may have servers located overseas. Where personal information is disclosed to an overseas recipient, we take reasonable steps to ensure the recipient complies with the APPs or is bound by equivalent obligations.
14. Notifiable Data Breaches
Where a data breach occurs that is likely to result in serious harm to any individual whose personal information is involved, we will assess the breach promptly and, where required under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme, notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner as soon as practicable.
15. Children's information
Because we provide education and care to young children, much of the information we hold relates to children. We collect and handle children's personal information through their parents and guardians, who are responsible for providing consent on the child's behalf. We treat children's information with particular care and only retain it for as long as it serves the child's educational, health, safety or regulatory record-keeping needs.
16. Complaints and feedback
If you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles or the Privacy Act, or if you have any concern about how your personal information is being handled, please raise it with us first. We take privacy complaints seriously and will investigate promptly and respond within a reasonable timeframe. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au.
17. Contacting us about privacy
All privacy enquiries, access requests, corrections and complaints can be directed to our Privacy Contact:
Email: ceo@caterpillarkidzdandenong.site
Location: Dandenong, VIC, Australia
ABN: 95 701 288 904
You may also reach us through the forms on our Contact page, or request service information and pricing via our Get a Quote page.
18. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, our service or the law. The current version will always be published on this page, together with the date of the most recent update. Continued use of our website, or continued enrolment with our service, following an update indicates your acceptance of the revised policy.