Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

SOMA Early Learning Centre ("SOMA," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of the personal information we hold about our families, children, staff, and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, store, and protect personal information, and how you can access or correct your information, or make a complaint.

This Policy is designed to comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), as well as relevant obligations under the Education and Care Services National Law and National Regulations, the Family Assistance Law (in relation to the Child Care Subsidy), and other applicable Australian legislation.

By providing personal information to SOMA, or by using our website, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of that information in accordance with this Policy.

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2. Who We Are

SOMA Early Learning Centre 5 Hastings St, Lidcombe NSW 2141, Australia Email: admin@somaelc.com.au Phone: (02) 9698 9935

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3. What Personal Information We Collect

The type of information we collect depends on your relationship with us. This may include:

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3.1 Information about parents, guardians, and enquirers

• Full name, address, phone number, and email address
• Date of birth
• Emergency contact and next-of-kin details
• Employment or study details (where relevant to subsidy eligibility)
• Payment and billing information
• Enquiry, tour booking, and enrolment form details
• Communications with our staff (email, phone, in person, or via our parent app)

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3.2 Information about children

Because we provide early childhood education and care, we necessarily collect sensitive information about the children in our care, including:

• Full name, date of birth, and gender
• Health information, including allergies, medical conditions, immunisation records, medication requirements, and any relevant health management plans
• Developmental, behavioural, and educational information, including learning stories, progress notes, and observations
• Dietary requirements and cultural or religious considerations
• Photographs and video recordings taken as part of daily activities, learning documentation, and centre communications
• Custody, guardianship, or court order information where relevant to a child's care and safety
• Centre attendance and routine information (sleep, meals, play)

We only collect sensitive information about children with the consent of a parent or guardian, and only where it is reasonably necessary to provide safe, high-quality care.

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3.3 Information collected via our website

• Device and browser information, IP address, and general location
• Pages visited, time spent on the site, and referring/exiting pages
• Information you submit through contact forms, tour booking forms, or enquiry forms
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 8)

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3.4 Information relating to government subsidies

Where a family applies for or receives the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) or accesses initiatives such as the 3-Day Guarantee, we may collect and exchange information with Services Australia and the Department of Education as required to confirm eligibility, enrolment, and attendance, in accordance with the Family Assistance Law.

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4. How We Collect Personal Information

We collect personal information:

• Directly from you, when you make an enquiry, book a tour, complete an enrolment form, or communicate with us
• From your child, in the course of providing care and education
• From third parties, such as previous childcare providers, medical practitioners, or government agencies (e.g. Services Australia), where relevant and with appropriate consent
• Automatically, through your use of our website (see Section 8)
• Through our parent communication app, used for daily updates, learning stories, and messaging

Where reasonably practicable, we collect personal information directly from the individual concerned or their parent/guardian.

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5. Why We Collect, Hold, Use, and Disclose Personal Information

We collect and use personal information for purposes including:

• Assessing enquiries and processing tour bookings and enrolments
• Providing early childhood education and care, including tailoring settling plans, educational programs, and health/dietary management
• Ensuring the health, safety, and wellbeing of children in our care
• Communicating with parents and guardians, including daily updates, learning stories, and progress meetings
• Processing payments and administering fees
• Applying for and administering Child Care Subsidy and other government initiatives on behalf of families, where authorised
• Complying with our legal and regulatory obligations under the National Law, National Regulations, and other applicable legislation
• Managing our relationship with families, including responding to feedback or complaints
• Marketing our services (only where you have not opted out — see Section 9)
• Improving our website and services

We will not use or disclose personal information for a purpose other than the purpose for which it was collected, unless permitted under the Privacy Act (for example, where you would reasonably expect the use, where required by law, or where necessary to prevent a serious threat to health or safety).

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6. Disclosure of Personal Information

We may disclose personal information to:

• Educators and staff directly involved in caring for your child
• Government agencies, including Services Australia and the Department of Education, for Child Care Subsidy administration, regulatory reporting, and compliance with the National Quality Framework
• Regulatory authorities, such as the NSW Department of Education (as the state regulatory authority) or the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)
• Emergency services and medical professionals, where necessary for a child's health or safety
• Our service providers, including IT and software providers (such as our parent communication app), payment processors, and website hosting providers, who assist us in operating our centre
• Professional advisers, such as our lawyers, accountants, or insurers, where necessary
• Other parties as required or authorised by law, or with your consent

We do not sell personal information to third parties.

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6.1 Overseas Disclosure

Some of our service providers (for example, cloud storage, website hosting, or app providers) may store or process data on servers located outside Australia. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure such providers handle personal information in a manner consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles.

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7. Data Security

We take reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. These steps include:

• Secure storage of physical and electronic records
• Restricted staff access to personal information on a need-to-know basis
• Password-protected systems and secure parent communication platforms
• Regular review of our data handling practices

No method of electronic storage or transmission is completely secure, and while we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

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8. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Improve website functionality and user experience
• Understand how visitors use our site (via analytics tools)
• Remember your preferences

You can adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies; however, this may affect the functionality of our website. Our website may also contain links to third-party sites (such as social media platforms), which have their own privacy policies that we encourage you to review.

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9. Marketing Communications

We may use your contact details to send you information about SOMA, including newsletters, updates, or promotional material, where you have not opted out. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by:

• Clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing email, or
• Contacting us directly at admin@somaelc.com.au

Opting out of marketing communications will not affect our ability to send you essential communications relating to your child's care and enrolment.

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10. Retention of Personal Information

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet our legal, accounting, and regulatory record-keeping obligations. In particular, records relating to children's enrolment and care are typically retained for periods specified under the Education and Care Services National Regulations (which, depending on the record type, may require retention for several years after a child last attends the service, or until the child turns a specified age).

When personal information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to securely destroy or de-identify it.

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11. Access to and Correction of Your Personal Information

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you or your child, and to request that we correct any information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, or misleading.

To make a request, please contact us at:

Email: admin@somaelc.com.au Phone: (02) 9698 9935 Post: 5 Hastings St, Lidcombe NSW 2141, Australia

We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe. In some circumstances, we may be unable to provide access (for example, where it would unreasonably impact the privacy of others, or where restricted by law). If we deny access, we will explain our reasons.

There is no charge for making a request for access or correction; however, we may charge a reasonable fee for retrieving and providing copies of records where permitted by law.

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12. Children's Privacy

We recognise the particular sensitivity of information relating to children. We collect information about children only from or with the consent of a parent or guardian, and we limit the use and disclosure of children's personal information to purposes connected with their care, education, safety, and our legal obligations. Parents and guardians may access or request correction of their child's records in accordance with Section 11 above.

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13. Complaints

If you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles or mishandled your personal information, please contact us first so we can investigate and attempt to resolve the matter:

Email: admin@somaelc.com.au Phone: (02) 9698 9935

We will acknowledge your complaint and aim to 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):

Website: www.oaic.gov.au Phone: 1300 363 992

You may also contact the relevant state regulatory authority for early childhood education and care in NSW regarding matters connected to the National Quality Framework.

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14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. The updated version will be posted on our website with a revised "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically.

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15. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle personal information, please contact us:

SOMA Early Learning Centre 5 Hastings St, Lidcombe NSW 2141, AustraliaEmail: admin@somaelc.com.au Phone: (02) 9698 9935

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