Privacy Policy

Last Updated: February 13, 2025

This Privacy Policy explains how The New Foster Care ("we," "us," "our") collects, uses, discloses, and safeguards your information when you visit our website, www.MiBridge.org, or engage with our service programs for young adults aging out of foster care in Michigan. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your personal information is handled in a safe and responsible manner. This policy complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable privacy laws.

1. Information We Collect

We collect several types of information to provide and improve our services to you:

A. Personal Information We may collect personal information from you when you interact with our website or services, such as:

Contact information: including your name, email address, phone number, and postal address.
Program participation information: including details about the services you request or receive through MiBridge.org, including any feedback or inquiries you may provide.
Payment information: if applicable, when making donations or other financial transactions on our site.

B. Non-Personal Information We may also collect non-personal information automatically as you interact with our website. This may include:

Browser information: such as your IP address, browser type, and version.
Usage data: such as the pages you visit, the time spent on those pages, and other diagnostic data.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We use cookies to enhance your experience and analyze site traffic. Cookies are small files placed on your device that help us remember your preferences and improve the website's functionality.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

To provide services: We use personal information to process your requests for services, enroll you in our programs, and provide you with necessary support.
Communication: To respond to your inquiries, send program updates, newsletters, or promotional content (you may opt out of promotional content at any time).
Improvement of services: We analyze usage data to improve our website and the services we offer.
Legal compliance: To comply with legal obligations or protect our legal interests, including preventing fraud or responding to lawful requests by public authorities.

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. However, we may share your information in the following circumstances:

Service providers: We may share your data with third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or servicing you (e.g., payment processors, email service providers). These third parties are obligated to protect your data and use it only for the specific services they provide to us.
Legal obligations: We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to valid legal requests (such as a court order or subpoena).
Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your personal data may be transferred to the new entity. You will be notified via email and/or a prominent notice on our website of any such change in ownership.

4. Your Data Protection Rights

Under the GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

Access: You have the right to request access to your personal data that we hold.
Rectification: You can request the correction of any inaccurate or incomplete personal data we have about you.
Erasure: You have the right to request the deletion of your personal data under certain circumstances.
Restriction: You may request the restriction of the processing of your personal data.
Portability: You can request a copy of your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
Objection: You may object to the processing of your personal data, especially where we process data based on legitimate interests or public interest.
Withdraw Consent: If we process your data based on consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us at change@thenewfostercare.org. We will respond to your request within a reasonable time frame, but no later than one month after receiving your request.

5. Data Retention

We will retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected or as required by law. Once your data is no longer needed, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

6. Security of Your Information

We take appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your data, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track your activity on our website and enhance your user experience. Cookies are small data files stored on your device. You can control your cookie settings through your browser settings and opt out of certain cookies. However, please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of some parts of the website.

8. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to other websites that are not operated by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of such third-party websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any third-party site you visit.

9. Children’s Privacy

Our services are intended for young adults aging out of foster care in Michigan, but we do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from individuals under the age of 16. If we learn that we have inadvertently collected information from a child under the age of 16, we will delete that information as soon as possible.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, or legal requirements. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. We encourage you to periodically review this Privacy Policy for any updates. If we make significant changes, we will notify you via email or a prominent notice on our website.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us:

Email: change@thenewfostercare.org
Address: The New Foster Care, 1615 S. Telegraph Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI

By using our website and services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and agree to its terms.