Notice of Privacy Practices

This notice describes how private information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.

Why do we ask for this information?

• To tell you apart from other people with the same or similar name
• To verify your employment and education information and/or give you credit for PQAS approved training
• To make reports, do research, do audits, evaluate our programs and for other administrative purposes

Do you have to answer the questions we ask?

You do not have to give us your personal information. We need this information to properly track your PQAS training. Without the information, we may not be able to give you credit for your trainings that are required by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and Keystone STARS.

With whom may we share information?

Sometimes we share information about you with other agencies. We will only share information as needed and as allowed or required by law. For example, we may share your information with the following types of agencies or persons who need the information to do their jobs:

• Employees or volunteers with other state, county, local, federal, collaborative and nonprofit agencies.
• Employees or volunteers within the state of PA, county, and local collaborative and nonprofit agencies implementing, administering, and evaluating the child care practitioner professional development system.
• Employees or volunteers within the state of PA, county, and local collaborative and nonprofit agencies for purposes of ensuring that education and professional development requirements have been met for certification.
• Keystone Stars related personnel for purposes of evaluation education, professional development, and other requirement for Pennsylvania’s QRIS (Quality Rating Improvement System)
• An individual’s employer for purposes of tracking and verifying employee training, education, and expertise.
• Anyone authorized by law to receive the information.

What are your rights regarding the information we have about you?

• You may see and copy private information we may have about you.
• You may give other people permission to see and have copies of information about you.
• You may question if the information we have about you is correct. Email your concerns to registry@pakeys.org. Tell us why the information is wrong or not complete. Send your own explanation of the information you do not agree with.
• You have the right to ask us to limit or restrict the way that we use or disclose your information, depending on how reasonable the request is and how feasible it is to implement the request we may/may not be able to agree to the request.
• You have the right to get a record of some of the people or organizations that we have shared your information with. This record was started on February 1, 2018.
• If you do not understand the information, ask the Professional Development Registry staff to explain it to you.

What are our responsibilities?

• We must protect the privacy of your private information according to the terms of this notice.
• We may not use your information for reasons other than the reasons listed on this form unless we get special written permission from you. We may not share your information with individuals and agencies other than those listed on this form unless we get special written permission from you.
• We are required to follow the terms of this notice, but we may change our privacy policy in the future.
  We might do this, for example, because privacy laws change and require us to change our practices.
  When we change our privacy rules we will put them on our website (www.pakeys.org).

What if you believe your privacy rights have been violated?

You may complain if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. You cannot be denied service or treated badly because you have made a complaint. If you believe that the Professional Development Registry has violated your privacy rights, you may send a written complaint either to the Pennsylvania Key, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early Learning, or to the federal civil rights office. The address for the federal civil rights address is:

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Region III
Public Ledger Building, Suite 436
150 South Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106 – 3499

The address for the Pennsylvania Key is:

The Pennsylvania Key
Attn: PD Registry
200 North 3rd Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101

Effective Date: February 1, 2018