Privacy policy

Last updated: June 2024

Kids First Australia (trading name of Children’s Protection Society Inc.) (we, our, Kids First) respects your privacy. Kids First is bound by the provisions of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act), and other laws that protect your privacy. Kids First will handle your personal information according to those laws and this Privacy Policy.

This Privacy Policy describes how Kids First handles your personal information. Kids First may modify or update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Kids First encourages you to check this website periodically to ensure that you have read Kids First's current Privacy Policy.

In this Privacy Policy:
• personal information means information or an opinion about an identified individual or an individual who is reasonably identifiable; and
• sensitive information is a type of personal information which is defined in the Privacy Act, and includes information about a person's health, their racial or ethnic origin, and their criminal record.

Need more information?
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or would like more information about how Kids First handles your personal information, you can contact Kids First's Privacy Officer.

You can also contact Kids First's Privacy Officer to:
• request a hard copy of this Privacy Policy;
• request access to the information Kids First holds about you;
• ask Kids First to correct the information it holds about you; or
• make a complaint about how Kids First has handled your information.

More information about how to seek access to or correction of your information, and how to make a complaint, is included below.

Contact us
Kids First Privacy Officer's contact details are:
Phone: 03 9450 0900
Email: [email protected]
Mail: Kids First Australia, 273 Settlement Road, Thomastown VIC 3074

What personal information does Kids First collect and why?
Personal information about clients (including individuals who may become clients)

Kids First collects personal information (including sensitive information) about individuals so
Kids First can provide our programs and services (such as counselling, support and kindergarten programs) to those individuals as clients.

To provide our programs or services to clients, Kids First usually collects personal information about the client (such as name, sex, age, family members and dependants, address and contact details) and sensitive information.

The kinds of sensitive information we collect are:
• racial or ethnic identity, for example, to provide translation services or a culturally safe experience;
• criminal record, generally for family services or to understand parental responsibilities for children’s services; and
• health information, such as information about a person’s disabilities or medical conditions).
Kids First may collect information (including sensitive information) either directly from the client or indirectly from a person who has referred the client to Kids First (a referrer). Kids First usually collects personal information from referrers when it is impractical or unreasonable for Kids First to collect that information directly from clients or individuals who may become clients (for instance, vulnerable children, youths and families). Direct collection is the preference.

Kids First may also obtain personal information about clients from other sources. For instance, we might obtain information about an individual from an alternative source if the individual has given consent for us to collect that information from that source. Kids First may also collect information from an alternative source where it is unreasonable or impracticable to collect the information from the individual including, for example, because the individual has a mental or physical condition which prevents the individual from giving personal information directly to Kids First.

When information is collected from an alternative source, Kids First takes reasonable steps to inform the client it has collected the information with a collection statement.

Personal information about referrers
Kids First collects personal information about referrers for the purpose of handling the referral, maintaining client records and contacting the referrer, when necessary, for further information about the referral. Kids First may collect and hold the referrer's name, professional role and agency (where applicable), and contact details. Kids First will collect this information from the referrer.
In accordance with the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 (Vic), Kids First will not disclose the identity of a referrer to a client, unless the referrer gives their consent for Kids First to do so.

Personal information about donors
Kids First collects personal information from donors for the purpose of processing donations. Kids First may collect a donor's name and contact details (such as a mailing address or email address). Kids First collects this information from donors when they make a donation.
Processing enquiries and complaints
Kids First may collect personal information about a person who makes an enquiry or complaint so we can help the individual with their enquiry or consider his or her complaint. In those circumstances, Kids First is likely to collect personal information such as the individual's name and contact details. We can only help people anonymously in very rare circumstances.

Personnel
Kids First collects personal information about individuals who volunteer with, are contracted to, or are employed by Kids First. Kids First also collects personal information about students who are placed with Kids First for training or education purposes. This information may include the individual's name, contact details, and other information necessary for Kids First to conduct business and maintain:
• an employment relationship with its employees; or
• its engagement with students, contractors and volunteers.

This Privacy Policy will apply to information held about Kids First's employees, volunteers and contractors.

How does Kids First use and disclose personal information?
Kids First generally uses personal information for the purpose for which it was collected, which is likely to be one of the following:
• to provide you with services;
• to process your donation; or
• to respond to your enquiry or complaint.
Kids First may link or combine any new or additional information about you to ensure the information we hold is up to date and we provide you with the best programs and services.
Kids First works with different community-based groups to provide an integrated and tailored approach to serving its clients. Kids First may disclose your personal information to another community group to process your request for assistance or to refer you to another community-based agency that can better meet a particular need. As part of this process, Kids First will usually explain to you the reasons why it is sharing your information with another community-based agency. We may not obtain your consent to these disclosures when our referral is reasonably expected and directly related to why we collected your information.
Because Kids First offers programs and services to families, personal information we collect about children may be accessed by their parents or carers. There is more information below about how to access information held by Kids First.

Kids First may also:
• disclose information to government departments who fund Kids First programs for the purpose monitoring Kids First' compliance with standards set by those departments; and
• use information for research, continuous improvement, or social advocacy purposes.
This information is usually aggregated and de-identified, meaning it does not include personal identifying details.

Kids First may also be required by law disclose information to a government agency (for example, mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse).

Direct marketing
From time to time, Kids First may contact Kids First's supporters (including donors, referrers and volunteers) about Kids First's activities and to provide supporters with Kids First's newsletters, reports, invitations and requests for support. You can ask Kids First not to send you this information by contacting Kids First's Privacy Officer using the contact details set out above.

Overseas disclosure
Kids First does not disclose your personal information to recipients located outside of Australia.
Storage and security of information
Kids First takes reasonable steps to keep your personal information secure.
Personal information from clients is stored in a secure manner onsite. Hard-copy files are kept in a locked file room and electronic files are password protected. The file room and electronic files can only be accessed by Kids First employees and contractors who need to access those files (for example, by a Kids First employee who is responsible for responding to a request from a client for access to their client file).

We train our employees and contractors to protect your privacy and we monitor when they access your information. All Kids First employees and contractors who have direct contact with children are required to undergo both a police check as well as a Working With Children check before they work with us.

Some personal information may also be stored offsite with a third-party storage provider. Kids First will take reasonable steps to ensure the third-party storage provider deals with personal information as required by the Privacy Act.

Kids First engages third-party contractors or consultants to undergo tasks and activities that involve accessing clients' personal information (for instance, data analysis consultants who help Kids First to improve its services). Kids First takes steps to ensure any third-parties comply with the Privacy Act. For instance, Kids First only allows consultants, contractors or students to access personal information if they sign a declaration which clearly outlines their responsibilities when accessing your information.

Information collected from donors on the Kids First website is used to process payment through a bank-approved payment gateway with an approved SSL certificate. SSL (secure socket layer) encrypts data to be sent securely between two destinations—for example, between Kids First and your bank when you donate online.

Links to other websites
The Kids First website contains links to other websites. Those websites’ privacy policies may be substantially different from this Privacy Policy. Kids First recommends you read them before using those websites. Kids First is not responsible for any use, content or privacy practices of those websites.

Anonymity
If lawful and practicable, Kids First will give you the option to deal with Kids First without identifying yourself, or by using an alias.

Accessing and correcting personal information
How can I access personal information Kids First has about me?
You have the right to request access to personal information Kids First holds about you.
When you request access to personal information, Kids First may need to verify your identity before we can provide you with that information. In most circumstances, you may be required to provide a certified copy of proof of identity, such as a driver's licence, birth certificate or passport.

Kids First will not charge you to submit a request to access your personal information but it may charge a reasonable fee to provide you with that information (for example, photocopy fees for large quantities of documents).

You can request access to your personal information by contacting Kids First's Privacy Officer using the contact details set out above.
Sometimes, it may not be possible for Kids First to provide you with all of your personal information, or an exemption under the Privacy Act or Health Records Act may apply. For example, Kids First may not provide access to personal information if disclosing that information would create a threat to the health or safety to you or someone else. Where Kids First does not provide access to personal information held about you, Kids First will tell you why.

How can I correct personal information that Kids First has about me?
You have the right to request that Kids First corrects any inaccurate personal information that Kids First holds about you.

If you think that any personal information that Kids First holds about you is inaccurate, you can contact Kids First's Privacy Officer using the contact details set out above. Kids First will take reasonable steps to ensure that the information is corrected within a reasonable period of time. If we decide not to correct your personal information, we will tell you why in writing (unless it is unreasonable to do so), and let you know about the mechanisms available to complain about the refusal.

When you request to correct personal information, Kids First may need to verify your identity before we can correct that information.
Making a complaint
If you wish to make a complaint about the way that Kids First has handled your personal information (including if you believe that your privacy has been interfered with), you can make a complaint by writing to Kids First's Privacy Officer using the contact details set out above.
If you are making a complaint, please include your current contact details including your email address, name, address and telephone number, and clearly describe the complaint. Kids First will investigate your complaint and respond within a reasonable period of time.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you can refer the matter to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (commonly known as the OAIC) who may investigate the matter and make their own determination. The OAIC's email address is [email protected].

Last Updated: June 2024