Privacy Policy

Introduction

Families United ("we," "us," or "our") is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating the Navigators to Leaders platform. We are committed to protecting the privacy of all individuals who use our services. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you use our platform.

Information We Collect

We collect the following types of information:

• Account information: name, email address, phone number, preferred language
• Demographic information: race, ethnicity, gender identity, age bracket, country of origin, county of residence
• Disability-related information: diagnosis status, Regional Center status and services, community services accessed, barriers to services
• Immigration-related information: newcomer/immigrant status, immigration barriers (provided voluntarily with option to decline)
• Training and program data: course progress, quiz responses, certificate completions, discussion posts
• Uploaded files: documents submitted through forms, profile photos
• Usage data: authentication sessions, activity logs, page interactions

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To deliver and personalize the Navigators to Leaders training program
• To connect you with appropriate disability advocacy resources and services
• To fulfill grant reporting requirements with the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) using anonymized, aggregated demographic data
• To improve our platform, programs, and services
• To communicate with you about your account, training progress, and program updates
• To comply with legal obligations and grant requirements

How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share data only as follows:

• California Department of Developmental Services (DDS): Anonymized, aggregated demographic data for grant compliance reporting. No individually identifiable information is shared.
• Third-party service providers who process data on our behalf: Supabase (database and authentication), SendGrid (email communications), and Vercel (website hosting). These providers are contractually bound to protect your data.
• Law enforcement or government agencies when required by law or to protect the rights and safety of our organization and users.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for 7 years after your last activity on the platform, as required for grant compliance purposes. After this period, your data will be anonymized (personal identifiers removed) while retaining aggregated demographic data for historical reporting. Certificates of program completion are retained indefinitely as proof of achievement. You may request earlier deletion of your data, subject to grant compliance requirements.

Your Rights

Under California law (including the CCPA), you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate personal information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements
• Opt-out: Decline to provide optional information (many intake form fields offer a "Prefer not to answer" option)
• Non-discrimination: You will not be treated differently for exercising your privacy rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the email address listed below.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encryption in transit via HTTPS/TLS for all data transmitted between your browser and our servers
• Encryption at rest for all data stored in our database (Supabase)
• Row-Level Security (RLS) policies that restrict data access based on user roles
• Role-based access control limiting administrative access to authorized staff only
• Secure authentication sessions with automatic expiration

Children's Information

Our platform is designed for adults (18 years and older). We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 18. Information about minors with disabilities is collected only through their parent or legal guardian as part of the intake process, with the guardian's explicit consent. This information is used solely to connect families with appropriate advocacy resources and services.

Cookies and Tracking

Our platform uses only essential authentication session cookies required for you to remain logged in. We do not use advertising cookies, analytics tracking pixels, or third-party tracking technologies. No data is shared with advertisers or data brokers.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting a notice on the platform and updating the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

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