Last Updated: March 10, 2026

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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. Because we collect personal information about children, we treat this information as sensitive and apply enhanced safeguards to protect its confidentiality. 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.

• Parent Portal / Digital System Data: We may collect and store information through our Digital System / Parent Portal, including attendance records, activity updates, messages, and photos related to a child’s participation in daycare programs.

• Website Usage Data: When visiting our website, limited technical information such as browser type, pages visited, and usage statistics may be collected automatically through standard website analytics tools. This information is used only to improve website functionality and user experience.

4. How We Use Your Information

Your personal information is used exclusively for the purposes of operating our childcare services. 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 Without Consent: Inner Garden Education does not use personal information of parents, educators, or children for marketing or promotional purposes without explicit parental consent.

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.

Inner Garden Education may capture photos or videos of children during daily activities, special events, and learning experiences for documentation and communication with families.

Parental consent for photography and video recording is obtained through the registration form, where parents may choose one of the following options:

• No Media Consent – The child will not be photographed or recorded, and staff will make reasonable efforts to exclude the child from group media.

• Internal Use Only – Photos or videos may be shared only within secure parent communication platforms, classroom documentation, portfolios, or internal educational purposes.

• Internal and External Use – With parental permission, photos or videos may also be used for public purposes such as the Inner Garden website, social media, or promotional materials.

Parents may update or withdraw their consent at any time by contacting the daycare administration.

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 may be required to collect, use, and disclose certain personal and child information to the Government of Alberta and its designated agencies (for example, licensing authorities, subsidy administration, or child welfare services) as required under applicable childcare regulations and legal obligations.

• 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. Use of IG Portal (Internal System)

The IG Portal is used by educators, administrators, teaching assistants, and parents to support childcare operations, attendance tracking, and family communication. Parent users may access the Family Portal to view published updates (“Moments”), attendance history (sign-in/sign-out records), and securely shared files for children linked to their account.
The platform is operated using Firebase services on Google Cloud Platform (GCP), including authentication, secure data storage, and file delivery. Access is role-based and protected by account authentication (including email verification for parent access where required).

Depending on service configuration, certain data may be processed or stored in Canada or other jurisdictions where our service providers operate, and appropriate safeguards are implemented to protect personal information in accordance with applicable privacy laws.

8. Data Retention

Inner Garden Education retains personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, to provide childcare services, and to comply with applicable legal, regulatory, and licensing requirements. When information is no longer required, it will be securely deleted or destroyed.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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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