Privacy Policy

Effective Date: May 1, 2026

Last Updated: June 1, 2026

1. Introduction

Maple Roots Montessori ("we," "us," or "our") is a home-based Montessori micro-pod program located in the Riverdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. We are committed to protecting the privacy of the families and children in our care.

Please note: Maple Roots Montessori operates as an unlicensed private home childcare program. We are not a licensed daycare or registered school under the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA) of Ontario. Families choosing our program do so based on a direct private agreement with the educator. This does not affect our commitment to the privacy, safety, and well-being of every child and family we serve.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have regarding your information. By using our website (maplerootsmontessori.com) or submitting an enquiry or enrolment form, you agree to the practices described in this Policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us, including:

• Parent or guardian full name

• Email address

• Phone number (if provided)

• Child's name and date of birth or age

• Program interest (Toddler program or Casa program)

• Any additional information you include in your message or enquiry form

We may also collect limited technical information automatically when you visit our website, including your IP address, browser type, and pages visited. This information is collected by standard website analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) and is used only in aggregate form to understand how our website is used.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information you provide solely for the following purposes:

• To respond to your enquiry about enrolment at Maple Roots Montessori

• To communicate with you about the admissions process, available spots, program details, and scheduling

• To maintain records related to your child's enrolment and care

• To send you program updates, newsletters, or important notices relevant to your child's participation (you may opt out of these at any time)

• We do not sell, rent, lease, or trade your personal information to any third party. We do not use your information for advertising profiling or share it with data brokers.

4. Legal Basis for Processing (PIPEDA)

Maple Roots Montessori operates in accordance with Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). We collect and process your personal information only with your knowledge and implied or express consent. You consent to our collection of your personal information when you voluntarily submit an enquiry or enrolment form on our website.

5. Sharing Your Information

We do not share your personal information with third parties except in the following limited circumstances:

• With service providers who assist us in operating our website (such as our website hosting provider or email platform), where those providers are bound by confidentiality and data protection obligations consistent with this Policy

• Where required by law or by a court order, government authority, or regulatory body

• With your explicit written consent

We may use contact information to reach prospective families through digital platforms, including social media. Any data shared for this purpose is encrypted, used solely for audience matching, and is not sold or shared beyond this function. You may opt out at any time by contacting us at maplerootsmontessori@gmail.com.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by applicable law. Specifically:

• Enquiry records for families who do not enrol: retained for up to 12 months, then deleted

• Enrolment records for families whose children attend or attended Maple Roots: retained for up to 7 years following the end of the care relationship, in accordance with standard practice

• You may request deletion of your information at any time (see Section 8)

7. Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, disclosure, or destruction. Our website uses HTTPS encryption. Enquiry and enrolment records are stored securely with access limited to Somerset Lane and any assistant educators directly involved in your child's care.

No method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we take reasonable precautions, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you or your child.

• Correction: You may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.

• Deletion: You may ask us to delete your personal information, subject to any legal obligations we have to retain certain records.

• Withdrawal of Consent: You may withdraw your consent to our use of your personal information at any time. Note that withdrawal may affect our ability to communicate with you about enrolment.

• Opt-out of Communications: You may unsubscribe from any newsletter or non-essential communications at any time by replying to any email with "Unsubscribe" or contacting us directly.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the address below. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Children's Privacy

Our program serves young children (Toddler: 16 months–2.5 years; Casa: 2.5–4 years). We collect information about children only from their parents or guardians, and only for the purposes of providing care and communicating about the program. We do not collect personal information directly from children, and we do not share any child's personal information beyond the purposes described in this Policy.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe we have collected information about your child in error, please contact us immediately, and we will take steps to correct or delete that information.

10. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to understand how visitors use the site. You can disable cookies in your browser settings at any time. If you use a browser with an ad blocker or privacy extension, this will not affect your ability to use our website or submit enquiries.

We may use Google Analytics to understand aggregate website traffic. This tool collects anonymised data and does not identify individual visitors. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on (available at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout).

11. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party sites (such as Instagram or our brochure hosting). This Privacy Policy applies only to maplerootsmontessori.com. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of any external websites and encourage you to review their privacy policies before submitting any personal information.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically. Continued use of our website or submission of an enquiry after a change constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact:

Contact Details

Maple Roots Montessori: Somerset Lane, Founder & Lead Educator, Riverdale, Toronto, Ontario

Website: maplerootsmontessori.com

Email: maplerootsmontessori@gmail.com

We take privacy concerns seriously and will respond to all requests within 30 days.