Privacy Policy

Last updated: 4 August 2026

Homeschool Central

This Privacy Policy explains how Homeschool Central ("we", "us", "our") collects, holds, uses and discloses your personal information, in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

By using Homeschool Central, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

1. Who We Are

Homeschool Central is an online platform connecting Australian homeschool, unschool and world school families with local classes, camps, events, businesses and academic programs.

Contact for privacy matters: hello@homeschoolcentral.com.au

2. Personal Information We Collect

From Families

Name, email address, and home postcode
Account login credentials
Payment information (processed directly by our payment processor, Stripe, so we do not store your full card details)
Postcode updates (e.g. if you travel or relocate)
Information you submit, such as event listings, perk suggestions, or interest in a listed event
Communications you send us (e.g. emails, support requests)

From Businesses

Business name, description, contact details, and location
Bank account and payout details (processed and held directly by Stripe Connect, so we do not store your bank details)
Content submitted for listings, classes, and programs
Verification information submitted for the optional Verified Badge (see Section 8)

Automatically Collected

Basic usage data (e.g. pages visited, general location inferred from IP address) for the purposes of improving the platform and diagnosing issues

We do not knowingly collect any personal information directly from children. Family accounts are held and managed by an adult parent or guardian.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use personal information to:

Create and manage your account
Process bookings, subscriptions, and payments
Facilitate communication between families and businesses in connection with a booking
Send transactional communications (e.g. booking confirmations, receipts, account notices)
Send marketing communications where you have consented, with the ability to unsubscribe at any time, in line with the Spam Act 2003 (Cth)
Improve, secure, and maintain the platform
Comply with our legal obligations

4. How We Share Your Information

We share personal information only as follows:

With a business, once you complete a booking with them, so they can deliver the class or service you've booked (e.g. your name and contact details)
With a family, if a business chooses to make certain contact information visible to members
With service providers who help us operate the platform, including Stripe (payment processing and Connect payouts), Supabase (hosting and database infrastructure), and MailerLite and MailerSend (email communications)
Where required by law, or to protect our rights, safety, or the safety of others

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

Overseas Disclosure

Some of our service providers (including Stripe, Supabase, MailerLite and MailerSend) may store or process data on servers located outside Australia. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure these providers handle your information in a manner consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles.

5. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information, including role-based access controls and database-level security policies restricting who can view sensitive information (such as contact details, which are only visible to logged-in members or after a booking is made).

No method of electronic storage or transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as your account remains active, or as needed to provide our services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. You may request deletion of your account and associated personal information at any time, subject to any information we're required to retain by law (e.g. financial records).

7. Your Rights

Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:

Access the personal information we hold about you
Request correction of inaccurate or outdated information
Make a complaint about how we've handled your personal information

To exercise these rights, contact us at hello@homeschoolcentral.com.au. If you're not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.

8. The Verified Badge

Businesses may display a "Verified" badge on their listing. This badge reflects a self-declaration by the business that they hold a current Working With Children Check (or equivalent). Homeschool Central does not independently verify this declaration.

We encourage families to exercise their own judgement and, where appropriate, independently confirm a business's credentials before booking. Homeschool Central is not responsible for the accuracy of self-declared verification status.

9. Children's Privacy

Homeschool Central is designed for use by adult parents and guardians managing their family's homeschool activities. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children. If you believe a child's personal information has been submitted to us (for example, incidentally within event or class content), please contact us and we will address it promptly.

10. Cookies

We may use basic cookies or similar technologies to keep you logged in and to understand general platform usage. You can control cookie settings through your browser.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via the platform or by email. Continued use of Homeschool Central after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, contact us at:

Email: hello@homeschoolcentral.com.au