Privacy Policy

Last updated: November 2, 2024

1. Introduction

Welcome to Blue Heron Parents ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information

We collect the following personal information:

• Email Address: Used for account creation, authentication, and communication
• Profile Information: Name, phone number, and profile photo (optional)
• User-Generated Content: Posts, comments, messages, and photos you share

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

• Device Information: Device type, operating system version
• Usage Data: App interactions and features used
• Push Notification Tokens: For sending notifications (if you opt-in)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide and maintain the app's functionality
• Enable communication between parents in the community
• Send push notifications about new posts, messages, and events (with your consent)
• Improve and optimize the app experience
• Respond to your inquiries and support requests
• Ensure security and prevent misuse

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

4.1 Within the Community

Your profile information, posts, and comments are visible to other verified members of the Blue Heron Parents community. Private messages are only visible to you and the recipient.

4.2 Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

• Firebase (Google): For authentication, database, and cloud storage
• Expo: For app development and push notifications

4.3 We Do NOT Share Your Information With:

• Advertisers or marketing companies
• Data brokers
• Any third parties for their own purposes

5. Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored securely using Firebase services with industry-standard encryption. We implement appropriate security measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

6. Your Rights and Choices

You have the right to:

• Access: View your personal information
• Update: Modify your profile information at any time
• Delete: Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Opt-Out: Disable push notifications in app settings
• Data Portability: Request a copy of your data

7. Children's Privacy

Our app is intended for parents and guardians. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13 years of age. The app is designed for parent communication only.

8. Photo and Camera Permissions

We request access to your camera and photo library solely to allow you to:

• Upload a profile picture
• Share photos in community posts

Photos are only uploaded when you explicitly choose to share them. We do not access your photo library without your permission.

9. Push Notifications

If you opt-in to push notifications, we will send you alerts for:

• New community posts (Nest Notes)
• Direct messages
• Calendar events

You can disable notifications at any time in the app settings.

10. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we will delete your personal information within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal purposes.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy in the app and updating the "Last updated" date.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or want to exercise your rights, please contact us:

• Email: blueheronfamilies@gmail.com
• Support Page: Blue Heron Parents Support

13. California Privacy Rights

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including:

• The right to know what personal information we collect
• The right to delete personal information
• The right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell your data)

14. GDPR Compliance (European Users)

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have rights under GDPR including:

• Right to access your personal data
• Right to rectification of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to restrict processing
• Right to data portability