Last Updated: July 22, 2025

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1. Our Commitment to Privacy

Inner Garden Education (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the personal information of our clients, which includes parents, guardians, and the children in our care. We take the protection of your data as our highest priority. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information in compliance with applicable privacy laws.

2. Scope and Compliance

This policy is designed to comply with the principles and requirements of Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and, specifically, Alberta’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). We are dedicated to ensuring that all personal information is managed responsibly and with the utmost care.

3. Information We Collect

We collect personal information necessary to provide safe, high-quality childcare services. This may include, but is not limited to:

• Parent/Guardian Information: Names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and emergency contact details.

• Child Information: Names, birth dates, medical history (allergies, medications, health conditions), developmental information, and dietary restrictions.

• Administrative Information: Billing and payment details, and any other information required for registration and enrollment.

4. How We Use Your Information

Your personal information is used exclusively for the purposes of operating our agency. These purposes include:

• Ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of your child.

• Managing enrollment, billing, and administrative records.

• Communicating important notifications and updates regarding your child or agency operations.

• Meeting our legal and regulatory obligations.

No Marketing Use: We want to be unequivocally clear: Inner Garden Education does not use any personal information of parents, educators, or children for marketing or promotional purposes.

5. Consent and Communication

We will only collect, use, or disclose your personal information with your consent, except where required or permitted by law.

• Email Notifications: We will send emails to parents and guardians containing necessary notifications about their child, agency news, and operational updates.

• Opt-Out Provision: You may choose to opt-out of non-essential communications at any time by contacting our office. Please note that you cannot opt-out of communications that are essential for the health and safety of your child or for administrative and legal purposes.

6. Information Sharing and Disclosure

Inner Garden Education is committed to protecting your privacy and will not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. Information is shared only under the following specific circumstances:

• Your Designated Dayhome Educator: To facilitate the direct care, safety, and well-being of your child, we share limited necessary personal information with the specific Dayhome Educator you have selected. As outlined in Section 7, their access is limited strictly to the information of children under their direct supervision.

• Government of Alberta: We are required to share certain personal and child information with the Government of Alberta and its designated agencies (e.g., for licensing compliance, subsidy applications, and child welfare purposes) as mandated by law.

• Internal Agency Staff: Access to personal information is strictly limited to authorized Inner Garden Education staff who require it to perform their duties, such as administration, billing, and providing operational and pedagogical support to educators. All staff are bound by confidentiality agreements.

7. Data Security and Safeguards

We have implemented robust physical, electronic, and administrative safeguards to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse. Our multi-layered commitment to data security includes:

• Role-Based Access Control: Access to personal information is strictly controlled and segmented based on roles to ensure adherence to the "need-to-know" principle.

  • Dayhome Educators: Your designated Dayhome Educator is granted access only to the personal information of the children enrolled in their specific dayhome. They do not have access to the records of children in other agency locations.

  • Agency Staff: Internal agency staff have limited, role-defined access to information required for administrative, billing, quality assurance, and support functions.

• Mandatory Training: All agency staff and affiliated Dayhome Educators are required to complete regular training on our privacy policies, their obligations under PIPA, and best practices for securely handling confidential information.

• Educator-Level Safeguards: As independent operators, our Dayhome Educators are contractually obligated to uphold our privacy standards. This includes securely managing any physical records (e.g., emergency contact forms, medication logs) within their licensed dayhome premises and adhering to the confidentiality and security training provided by Inner Garden Education.

• Data Encryption: All electronic data managed centrally by the agency is encrypted during transmission and storage using industry-standard security protocols.

• Mandatory Screening: All of our agency staff and affiliated Dayhome Educators undergo a rigorous screening process, which includes a mandatory Criminal Record Check with a Vulnerable Sector search, before they are granted any access to personal information.

8. Access to and Correction of Your Information

In accordance with PIPA, you have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you and your child. You may also request that we correct any inaccuracies. To make a request, please contact our Privacy Officer at the address below.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints about this Privacy Policy or our information handling practices, please contact our designated Privacy Officer at it@innergardenedu.com. 

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