Mini Minders Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Mini Minders is an Irish childcare directory that helps parents and families discover and compare childcare providers, including preschools, childminders and other early-years services.

The directory may include provider information, registration details, published Tusla inspection reports, and information about participation in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme and the National Childcare Scheme (NCS), where available.

For the purposes of applicable data protection law, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the data controller is J Cacchione, trading as Mini Minders.

For privacy-related enquiries, contact us at:

Email: privacy@miniminders.ie
Post: Rochestown, Cork, Co. Cork, Ireland

2. Information We Collect

Mini Minders follows a data-minimisation approach. We do not seek to collect personal information unnecessarily. We collect information that users provide to us, alongside limited technical information required to operate and secure the service.

Depending on how you use Mini Minders, this may include:

• Account information: your name, email address, securely hashed password, account type and account status.
• Provider profile information: details submitted for a childcare listing, including provider name, address, contact details, service information, session types, age ranges and uploaded photos.
• Requests and communications: information relating to account changes, data access or deletion requests, corrections, enquiries and associated communications.
• Technical and security information: limited server logs, timestamps, IP addresses, browser or device information, and security events where necessary to maintain and protect the service.

We do not require users to submit identifiable information about children for ordinary directory searches. Please do not submit children's personal information, photographs or other identifying details unless a specific feature expressly permits this and appropriate safeguards are in place.

Uploaded photographs

Where photo uploads are available, the following rules apply:

• Up to 3 photos per profile, JPG or PNG, maximum 1 MB each.
• Photos must relate to your account or service, such as premises, facilities or activities.
• Photographs must not contain identifiable children unless you have the necessary authority and appropriate parental or guardian consent.
• Photographs of other identifiable people should only be submitted where you hold the necessary rights, permissions and lawful basis to share them.
• You must own the photos or otherwise have the right to use them.
• We may remove photos that breach these rules or that we reasonably consider inappropriate.

3. Childcare Directory Information and Public Sources

Mini Minders displays childcare information obtained directly from Tusla, specifically the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate's Register of Early Years Service Providers and the inspection reports published at www.tusla.ie, and information submitted by users. We do not intentionally source directory information from other childcare directories or data brokers.

Information obtained from Tusla may include provider names, service addresses, registration details, inspection dates and links to published inspection reports. Information submitted by users may include provider contact details, service descriptions, session types and age ranges.

Some Tusla records may identify individual childminders or other people. Where this information constitutes personal data, Mini Minders processes it on the basis of legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR), where appropriate under applicable data protection law.

Our legitimate interest is to operate a useful and reliable childcare directory that helps parents and families find childcare services and understand relevant registration and inspection information. We aim to publish only information relevant to that purpose, use appropriate sources, and keep listings accurate.

We recognise that individuals have privacy rights even when information is publicly available. If you believe a listing is inaccurate, outdated or should not be published, you can contact us at privacy@miniminders.ie to request a correction, raise an objection or ask us to review the information. We will consider such requests in accordance with applicable data protection law.

Inclusion in Mini Minders does not constitute an endorsement of a childcare provider. Information may change, and users should consult the relevant official sources when they need to confirm current registration or inspection details.

If you believe a listing is inaccurate, should be corrected or removed, or contains a photograph or other content that raises a privacy, consent or rights concern, contact privacy@miniminders.ie. We will review reports and respond promptly, taking appropriate action where necessary.

4. How and Why We Use Personal Data

We use personal data only where we have an appropriate lawful basis and for purposes connected with operating Mini Minders.

These purposes may include:

• Creating and managing user accounts.
• Authenticating users and maintaining account security.
• Creating, displaying and maintaining provider profiles.
• Processing requests to access, correct or delete personal data.
• Responding to enquiries and resolving disputes.
• Maintaining accurate and useful directory information.
• Preventing misuse, abuse and unauthorised access.
• Meeting applicable legal obligations.

Depending on the activity, the lawful basis may be performance of a contract, compliance with a legal obligation or legitimate interests. Where we rely on legitimate interests, these may include operating a reliable directory, maintaining security and preventing misuse, subject to the rights and interests of affected individuals.

Where processing relies on consent, that consent may be withdrawn, subject to any other lawful basis that may apply.

Mini Minders does not sell users' personal data.

If we introduce advertising, analytics or other services that involve additional personal data processing, we will update this policy and provide any additional notices or consent mechanisms required by law.

5. Hosting and Sharing Information

Hosting

Mini Minders is hosted by DreamHost using its Netherlands data centre. The Netherlands is within the European Economic Area (EEA).

DreamHost processes information as necessary to provide hosting and related technical services. Information stored or processed by other service providers, if introduced, will be handled in accordance with applicable data protection requirements.

Sharing information

We may share information with service providers where necessary to operate Mini Minders, such as hosting and email delivery providers. Such providers may process information on our behalf in accordance with the applicable arrangements and legal requirements.

We may also disclose information where required by law, necessary to respond to lawful requests, or reasonably necessary to protect the rights, safety or security of users or the service.

We do not sell personal data or share it with unrelated third parties for their own marketing purposes.

If personal data is transferred outside the EEA, we will ensure that an appropriate legal transfer mechanism and safeguards are in place where required by law.

6. Data Retention and Deletion

Mini Minders aims to retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy.

Directory listings from official sources

Childcare provider information compiled from official sources such as the Tusla register is retained while the information remains relevant and valid, with periodic checks against the source material carried out where practicable. Such information is managed separately from user-account data and may be corrected or removed on request where appropriate.

User-submitted listing and profile information

Information you submit for a listing or profile is retained while the listing or profile remains active and the information is valid, with corrections or removal handled on request where appropriate. Deleting an account does not automatically remove independently sourced directory information where Mini Minders has a lawful basis to continue publishing it.

Account data and deletion requests

Users may request deletion of their account and associated user-profile data. Eligible deletion requests are processed automatically, removing the relevant data from the live system.

Some information may need to be retained where required by law or where genuinely necessary for security purposes or the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims. Any such retention will be limited to what is necessary.

Backups

Mini Minders uses DreamHost shared hosting. DreamHost states that its service retains an average of approximately two weeks of website file backups and approximately five days of database backups. These automated backups are not guaranteed to be available.

Following a deletion request, information removed from the live system may remain in temporary backups until those backups expire or are overwritten. These backups are maintained for recovery purposes rather than routine access to deleted information.

If a backup is restored, applicable deletion requests will be reapplied where necessary.

Technical and security logs

Application and security logs are retained for a maximum of 90 days and are rotated and deleted automatically. They are used only to maintain the service, investigate security issues and prevent misuse.

Individuals may contact us to request a correction, raise a privacy concern or exercise their applicable data protection rights.

7. Your Data Protection Rights

Subject to applicable law and any relevant exceptions, you may have the right to:

• Access: request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy.
• Rectification: request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Erasure: request deletion of personal data where the legal conditions for erasure are met.
• Restriction: request that certain processing be restricted in applicable circumstances.
• Object: object to processing based on legitimate interests where the relevant legal conditions apply.
• Data portability: receive certain personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format where the right applies.
• Withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, withdraw it without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.
• Complain: lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority.

These rights are not absolute in every circumstance. Requests will be assessed in accordance with applicable law.

Requesting a copy of your data

You may request a copy of the personal data held in your Mini Minders user profile through the available data-request process or by contacting privacy@miniminders.ie.

We will provide the relevant personal data in an appropriate format and within the time limits required by law. A request for a copy of your data is separate from a request to delete your account.

We may ask for information necessary to verify your identity before fulfilling a request.

In Ireland, you can contact the Data Protection Commission for information about your rights or to raise a complaint:

https://www.dataprotection.ie/

8. Cookies and Local Storage

Mini Minders uses cookies and browser storage to provide essential website functionality and remember certain settings.

• Local storage: Remembers the user's light or dark theme preference, the parameters of their most recent search, and the service profile they last viewed between visits.
• Session storage: Temporarily stores scroll position and is cleared when the browser tab's session ends.
• Cookies: Laravel session and security cookies support website functionality and security. Users may also choose a remember-me cookie when signing in.

Browser storage used for preferences and search details remains on the user's device and is not transmitted to or stored in the Mini Minders database.

Mini Minders does not currently use analytics or advertising cookies to track browsing activity, track users across websites or build advertising profiles.

If additional services or technologies are introduced in the future, we will update this policy and obtain consent where required by law.

9. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or loss.

These measures may include secure password hashing, controlled administrative access, server-side session management and appropriate hosting and application security practices.

No website, online service or method of electronic transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We will respond to security incidents in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us promptly and change your password where possible.

10. Children's Information

Mini Minders is intended for adults, including parents, guardians and childcare providers. It is not intended for children to create accounts or use the service independently.

Users should avoid submitting identifiable information about children through ordinary directory features. Photographs or descriptions containing identifiable children should only be submitted where expressly permitted and where the necessary authority and appropriate parental or guardian consent are in place.

If you believe personal information about a child has been submitted or published inappropriately, please contact privacy@miniminders.ie so that we can review the matter.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when our service, data processing practices or legal obligations change.

The latest version will be published on Mini Minders with its revision date. Where a change requires additional notice or action under applicable law, we will take appropriate steps to provide it.

12. Contact Us

For questions about this Privacy Policy, personal data, access requests, corrections or deletion requests, contact:

Mini Minders
Email: privacy@miniminders.ie
Post: Rochestown, Cork, Co. Cork, Ireland

Data controller: J Cacchione