VILLAGE CARE PRIVACY POLICY 

Villagers LLC | joinvillage.care 

Last Updated: 6/16/26 

PLEASE READ THIS PRIVACY POLICY CAREFULLY. IT DESCRIBES HOW WE COLLECT, USE, AND SHARE YOUR INFORMATION WHEN YOU USE VILLAGE CARE. IT ALSO EXPLAINS YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR INFORMATION, INCLUDING SPECIAL PROTECTIONS FOR CHILDREN UNDER 13 UNDER FEDERAL LAW. 

1. INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE 

1.1 Who We Are. 

Villagers LLC, a Texas limited liability company (“Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), operates Village Care, a technology marketplace platform that connects families seeking childcare with independent in-home childcare providers (collectively, the “Platform”). 

1.2 Scope. 

This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) applies to information we collect through our website at joinvillage.care, our mobile and web applications, and any related services. This Policy does not apply to information collected by independent childcare providers (“Providers”) listed on the Platform; Providers are separate businesses and have their own privacy practices. 

1.3 Acceptance. 

By accessing or using the Platform, you agree to the collection, use, and disclosure of your information as described in this Policy. If you do not agree, do not access or use the Platform. This Policy is incorporated into and forms part of our Terms of Service. 

1.4 Children Under 13. 

The Platform is intended for use by parents and legal guardians who are at least eighteen (18) years of age. We do not knowingly allow children under 13 to create accounts or directly use the Platform. However, parents and guardians may provide certain information about their children, including children under 13, in connection with arranging childcare services. See Section 8 (Children’s Privacy) for important information about how we handle children’s information under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”). 

2. INFORMATION WE COLLECT 

We collect the following categories of information: 

2.1 Information You Provide Directly. 

(a) Account Information: name, email address, phone number, password, account preferences. 

(b) Family Information: number of children, ages, gender, names (or nicknames), care needs, schedule preferences, location (zip code or neighborhood), payment information. 

(c) Child Information (provided by parent or guardian): first name (or nickname), age or date of birth, allergies, medical conditions, dietary restrictions, behavioral notes, vaccination records, emergency contacts, photos, and other information necessary for safe and appropriate care. 

(d) Provider Information (Providers only): name, email, phone, address, license or registration numbers, background check status, insurance information, photos of facility, descriptions of services, capacity, rates, hours, and tax information. 

(e) Communications: messages exchanged through the Platform, support requests, survey responses, reviews, and ratings. 

(f) Payment Information: payment method details (collected and processed by our third-party payment processor; we do not store full payment card numbers). 

(g) Verification Information: government-issued ID, license documents, insurance certificates, or other documents you upload. 

2.2 Information Collected Automatically. 

(a) Device and Usage Information: IP address, device type, operating system, browser type, app version, time zone, language preferences, and unique device identifiers. 

(b) Activity Data: pages visited, features used, search queries, click-throughs, time spent on the Platform, referring URLs, and crash reports. 

(c) Location Information: approximate location based on IP address; precise location only with your explicit consent (e.g., to show nearby providers). 

(d) Cookies and Similar Technologies: see Section 9 (Cookies). 

2.3 Information From Third Parties. 

(a) Identity and Background Verification Providers: Stripe Identity, Checkr, GoodHire, or similar services we may engage to verify provider identity, licensing, or background check status. 

(b) Payment Processors: transaction confirmations, fraud signals, and payout status from Stripe (or our then-current processor). 

(c) Government and Regulatory Databases: publicly available license and registration status from Texas DFPS, Texas HHSC, or similar agencies in other jurisdictions. 

(d) Referrals and Social Sign-On (if offered): name and email if you sign in via a third party such as Google or Apple (subject to your privacy settings with that provider). 

3. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION 

We use your information for the following purposes: 

• To provide, operate, and maintain the Platform, including matching families with Providers, processing bookings, and facilitating payments. 

• To verify Provider information, including licensing and background check status, and to display verification badges on Provider profiles. 

• To communicate with you about your account, transactions, customer support inquiries, and updates to our services. 

• To send promotional and marketing communications (you can opt out at any time — see Section 6). 

• To improve the Platform, develop new features, conduct research and analytics, and understand how users interact with our services. 

• To detect, prevent, and address fraud, security incidents, abuse, violations of our Terms, and illegal activity. 

• To comply with applicable law, respond to legal process, and enforce our agreements. • To facilitate corporate transactions such as a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets. • For any other purpose with your consent. 

4. HOW WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION 

We share your information only in the limited circumstances described below. We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for purposes of cross-context behavioral advertising (also known as targeted advertising). 

4.1 With Providers and Families. 

When you initiate or maintain a booking, message, or care arrangement, we share relevant information with the other party. For families, this means the Provider sees the information necessary to provide care (your child’s name, age, allergies, medical needs, schedule, contact information, etc.). For Providers, this means families see profile information, including license and verification status, photos, and reviews. 

4.2 With Service Providers. 

We share information with third-party vendors who help us operate the Platform, including payment processors (Stripe), identity verification providers, background check providers, cloud hosting providers, analytics providers, customer support tools, and email service providers. These vendors are contractually required to use information only as necessary to provide services to us. 

4.3 With Authorities and in Connection with Legal Process. 

We may disclose information if we believe in good faith that disclosure is required or permitted by law, including in response to subpoenas, court orders, government requests, or to investigate, prevent, or address fraud, security, or safety concerns. This includes reports to or cooperation with law enforcement, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), Texas HHSC, or similar authorities in matters involving suspected child abuse, neglect, or endangerment. Mandatory reporting obligations under Texas Family Code Chapter 261 may require disclosure regardless of your preferences. 

4.4 Business Transfers. 

In connection with any merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of all or part of our business or assets, we may transfer or share information as part of the transaction or due diligence process, subject to standard confidentiality protections. 

4.5 With Your Consent. 

We share information for any other purpose with your consent. 

4.6 De-Identified and Aggregated Data. 

We may share information that has been de-identified or aggregated so that it does not reasonably identify an individual or household, for any purpose. 

5. DATA RETENTION 

We retain your information for as long as your account is active, as needed to provide services to you, to comply with our legal obligations (including tax, accounting, and record-keeping requirements), to resolve disputes, to enforce our agreements, and to maintain the security and integrity of the Platform. Retention periods vary by data type. After your account is closed, we may retain certain information in archived or backup form for a reasonable period, after which we will delete or de-identify it, subject to legal holds. Records of childcare bookings and payment transactions may be retained for at least seven (7) years for tax and accounting purposes. 

6. YOUR CHOICES AND COMMUNICATIONS PREFERENCES 

6.1 Account Information. 

You can review and update most of your account information directly through the Platform. To request additional changes, contact us at privacy@joinvillage.care. 

6.2 Marketing Communications. 

You can opt out of marketing emails by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in any marketing email or by adjusting your account settings. We will still send you transactional and service-related communications (e.g., booking confirmations, account notices, security alerts) that are necessary to operate the Platform. 

6.3 Push and SMS Notifications. 

You can disable push notifications through your device settings. You can opt out of SMS notifications by replying STOP to any SMS message from us. 

6.4 Location Information. 

You can disable precise location collection through your device settings. 

6.5 Cookies. 

See Section 9 (Cookies) for information on managing cookies. 

7. YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS 

Depending on where you reside, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. These rights are described below. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@joinvillage.care. 

7.1 Texas Residents (Texas Data Privacy and Security Act). 

If you are a Texas resident, you have the right to: (a) confirm whether we process your personal data; (b) access your personal data; (c) correct inaccuracies; (d) delete your personal data; (e) obtain a copy of your personal data in a portable format; and (f) opt out of (i) targeted advertising, (ii) the sale of personal data, and (iii) profiling in furtherance of decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects. We do not sell personal data, engage in targeted advertising, or conduct profiling that produces legal effects. To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@joinvillage.care. 

7.2 California Residents (California Consumer Privacy Act / CPRA). 

If you are a California resident, you have the right to: (a) know what categories and specific pieces of personal information we collect, use, and share; (b) request deletion of personal information we collect from you; (c) correct inaccurate personal information; (d) opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information; (e) limit the use of sensitive personal information; and (f) non-discrimination for exercising your rights. We do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@joinvillage.care. You may also designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf in accordance with California law. 

7.3 Other U.S. State Privacy Laws. 

Residents of other states with comprehensive privacy laws (including Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, Utah, and others) may have rights similar to those described above. Contact us at privacy@joinvillage.care to exercise applicable rights under your state’s law. 

7.4 Verification of Requests. 

To protect your information, we may need to verify your identity before responding to your request. We may ask you to provide information that can be reasonably correlated with information we maintain about you. We will respond to verifiable requests within the time frames required by applicable law (generally 45 days, with one extension permitted). 

7.5 Appeals. 

If we decline to take action on your request, you may appeal our decision by emailing privacy@joinvillage.care with the subject line “Privacy Rights Appeal.” We will respond to appeals within the time frames required by applicable law. 

8. CHILDREN’S PRIVACY (COPPA) 

8.1 Platform Not Directed to Children. 

The Platform is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly allow children under 13 to create accounts or directly use the Platform. 

8.2 Information Provided by Parents and Guardians. 

Parents and legal guardians may provide information about their children (including children under 13) in connection with arranging childcare services. This information may include the child’s name (or nickname), age or date of birth, photos, allergies, medical conditions, dietary restrictions, behavioral notes, vaccination records, and emergency contacts. We collect and use this information solely to facilitate the childcare arrangement requested by the parent or guardian, including sharing relevant information with the Provider selected by the parent or guardian. 

8.3 Parental Consent. 

By providing information about your child through the Platform, you represent that you are the parent or legal guardian of the child and that you consent, on the child’s behalf, to the collection, use, and disclosure of the child’s information as described in this Policy. 

8.4 Parental Rights. 

As a parent or guardian, you may at any time: (a) review the information we have collected about your child; (b) request that we delete such information; or (c) refuse to permit further collection or use of such information. To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@joinvillage.care. Note that deletion may affect ongoing or future childcare arrangements that depend on the information. 

8.5 Limited Use. 

We do not use children’s information for marketing or advertising, do not enable third-party advertising directed at children, and do not condition a child’s participation in any activity on providing more information than is reasonably necessary. 

8.6 Operator Contact. 

For purposes of COPPA, the operator collecting and maintaining children’s information is: Villagers LLC, attention: Privacy, email: privacy@joinvillage.care. 

9. COOKIES AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES 

9.1 What We Use. 

We and our service providers use cookies, web beacons, pixels, software development kits (SDKs), and similar technologies to operate, secure, and improve the Platform. Categories of technologies we use include: 

(a) Strictly Necessary: required for the Platform to function (e.g., login, security, fraud prevention). 

(b) Performance and Analytics: help us understand how users interact with the Platform (e.g., page views, errors). 

(c) Functionality: remember preferences such as language or region. 

(d) We do not currently use advertising cookies or sell cookie data. 

9.2 Managing Cookies. 

Most browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can typically configure your browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. Disabling cookies may affect your ability to use parts of the Platform. 

9.3 Do Not Track. 

Some browsers offer a “Do Not Track” signal. We do not currently respond to such signals in a uniform manner. You can manage your tracking preferences as described above. 

10. SECURITY 

We use commercially reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include encryption in transit (TLS), restricted access controls, vendor due diligence, and reasonable monitoring. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. In the event of a security incident affecting your personal information, we will notify you and applicable regulators as required by law, including the Texas Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act and similar laws in other jurisdictions. 

11. DATA BREACH NOTIFICATION 

If we discover a breach of security that has resulted in or is reasonably likely to result in the unauthorized acquisition of unencrypted personal information, we will notify affected individuals and, as required, the Texas Attorney General and other applicable regulators within the timeframes required by law. Notification will include the nature of the breach, the categories of information involved, and steps you can take to protect yourself. 

12. USERS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES 

The Platform is operated from the United States and is intended for use by users located in the United States. If you access the Platform from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States. By using the Platform, you consent to such transfer. We do not currently offer services to users in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or other regions with comprehensive data protection laws comparable to the GDPR. 

13. THIRD-PARTY LINKS AND SERVICES 

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites, services, and applications (including Provider websites, payment processors, and social media platforms). This Policy does not apply to those third parties. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of any third party. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third party before providing information to them. 

14. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY 

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make changes, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this Policy. If we make material changes that affect your rights, we will notify you by email or through the Platform at least thirty (30) days before the changes take effect. Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy. If you do not agree to the updated Policy, you must stop using the Platform. 

15. CONTACT US 

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, contact us at: 

Villagers LLC 

Attention: Privacy 

Email: privacy@joinvillage.care 

For Texas Attorney General complaints regarding the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, you may also contact the Office of the Texas Attorney General at oag.texas.gov. 

For California Attorney General complaints regarding the CCPA, you may also contact the Office of the California Attorney General at oag.ca.gov.