Privacy Policy

At KidsAbility, the privacy of your personal information has always been an important aspect of how we operate.  As such, KidsAbility has developed the following Privacy Policy in order to ensure compliance with privacy legislation, as well as to inform individuals of our continuing commitment to the protection of their personal information.

What is personal information?
Personal information includes any factual or subjective information, recorded or not, about an identifiable individual. This includes information in any form such as a personal e-mail address, credit card numbers, home addresses and so on. It does not include information normally found on a business card, such as name, title, company, business address, business e-mail address, business telephone or fax number.

Who is responsible for protecting the personal information collected, used and disclosed by KidsAbility?
The Director, Finance & Corporate Services of KidsAbility is the Chief Privacy Officer for the organization.  All employees and members of the Board are responsible for ensuring compliance with this Privacy Policy. At times, KidsAbility staff may be delegated to act on behalf of the Chief Privacy Officer or to take responsibility for occasional collection, use and disclosure of personal information.

Why does KidsAbility collect, use or disclose personal information?
For Employees:
KidsAbility collects, uses and discloses personal information about employees in order to administer the employment relationship and although this relationship is not strictly covered by the Privacy Acts, KidsAbility takes the necessary precautions to ensure this information is adequately protected and is only used for the purposes for which it is collected and is only disclosed when necessary to do so.

All information provided to third parties for the purposes of payroll and benefit administration is provided under the terms of agreed upon contracts which ensure the privacy of this information and that is will be used only for the intended purposes and not disclosed to any other party.

For Clients:
KidsAbility is committed to providing its clients with the best possible intervention to ensure achievement of their maximum potential.  KidsAbility may collect, use and disclose personal information, when applicable, for the following purposes:
• As a basis to plan client care and intervention
• As a communication tool between intervention staff
• Legal documentation regarding client care
• As a source of data for clinical research and statistics
• As a planning tool for facility changes & construction
• For Fundraising activities
• To comply with legal and regulatory requirements

How can individuals access their personal information held by KidsAbility?
Employees have a right to access their own personal information in the possession and control of  KidsAbility.  Employees are able to view their personal information, as contained in their individual personnel files, by contacting the KidsAbility Chief Privacy Officer.

Clients have a right to access their own personal information in the possession and control of  KidsAbility.  Clients are able to request a restriction on certain uses & disclosures of their information, amend their health records, obtain an accounting of disclosures of their health information, or revoke authorization to use or disclose their health information except to the extent that action has already been taken. (subject to legal exceptions)

How much personal information does KidsAbility collect, use or disclose?
KidsAbility collects, uses and discloses personal information only to the extent required to fulfill the purposes stated within this policy.

How long does KidsAbility retain personal information?
KidsAbility retains personal information only for as long as is required to fulfill the purposes stated within this policy, and to meet all requirements by law. 

How accurate is the personal information collected, used and disclosed by KidsAbility?
It is the responsibility of the employee and the client to advise KidsAbility of changes to their personal information.

If an employee’s personal information requires amendment, they may complete a “Changes of Employee Benefit and Payroll Information” form.  These forms are available electronically in the ‘Employee Guides and Information’ folder on the SHARED drive, or in hard copy in the ‘forms’ area of each worksite.

Clients should notify the appropriate KidsAbility team member or Health Records of any changes to their personal information.

How secure is the personal information stored at KidsAbility?
KidsAbility is committed to ensuring that personal information is protected from unauthorized access, unintended disclosures or theft. This protection is provided by firewalls in the computer system, passwords to protect databases, signed confidentiality agreements, locked filing cabinets and restricted access to offices. Only the Chief Privacy Officer and delegated individuals have access to this information.

How is personal information collected, used or disclosed via the KidsAbility web site?
In order to enhance your browsing experience when accessing the KidsAbility web site, a small text file called a "cookie" is sent from our web server to your browser and stored on your computer.  Cookies enhance your browsing experience, and also allow us to recognize you when you return to the KidsAbility web site.  You may set your browser to notify you when you receive cookies and you may choose to disable or delete cookies if you wish. Cookies are not programs or code, and are only used to optimize browsing.
 
The KidsAbility web site also logs internet protocol addresses of visitors. This information is used, in aggregate form, to provide statistical measures about usage of the site. This in turn allows us to continually improve the content and design of our web sites.
 
The KidsAbility web site may contain links to other web sites owned and operated by third parties.  While we attempt to ensure that these organizations adhere to similar privacy policies, we are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of such sites.  It is highly recommended that you review the privacy policies of other sites prior to providing any personal information on those sites.

How can individuals learn more about KidsAbility’s Privacy Policy?
Updated versions of this Privacy Policy will continue to be posted in KidsAbility sites as we make improvements. This Policy is also available in hard copy from Human Resources.

How can individuals relay their concerns about their personal information held by KidsAbility?
If individuals have a complaint related to the KidsAbility Privacy Policy, they may contact the Chief Privacy Officer in writing. If the Chief Privacy Officer is unable to resolve the concern, or if there are further complaints, individuals may contact the Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.