Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 13 February 2026

Your privacy matters to us. At The Au Pair Club, we’re committed to protecting your personal information and being transparent about how we use it.

A Global Platform You Can Trust:

The Au Pair Club started in South Africa in 2016, and today we connect families, childcare providers, and agencies around the world.

We follow the highest privacy standards, including South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), so you can trust that your data is safe with us, no matter where you are.

This policy explains what information we collect, why we need it, and how we keep it secure. By using our platform, you’re agreeing to the practices described here.

1. What Information We Collect

We only collect information that helps us provide you with a great experience and connect you with the right opportunities.

1.1 Basic Information

The information we collect depends on how you use our platform:

Everyone:

• Your name, email address, and phone number
• Login details to keep your account secure
• Payment information (processed securely through trusted payment providers)
• Basic technical information (IP address, device type, browser)

Childcare Providers (Au Pairs, Nannies, Tutors, Babysitters, Teachers):

• Your profile details (experience, qualifications, where you want to work)
• Course certificates you earn with us
• References and background information you choose to share
• Your profile photo and any documents you upload
• Jobs you save or apply for

Families:

• Information about your household (ages of children, childcare needs)
• Your location and schedule requirements
• Job postings you create
• Communication with candidates

Agencies:

• Your business details (company name, location)
• Job postings for your clients
• Searches and communications on the platform

1.2 How You Use Our Platform

We track how people use our platform to make it better:

• Which pages you visit and how long you spend there
• Job searches and applications
• Community posts and interactions
• Course progress
• Device and browser information

1.3 Your Communications

• Messages you send through our platform
• Emails to our support team
• WhatsApp conversations with us

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to help you get the most out of our platform:

Making Connections:

• Show your profile to families, agencies, or caregivers looking for a match
• Send you job alerts that fit what you’re looking for
• Help you find the right opportunities

Running the Platform:

• Process your payments securely
• Manage your courses and send you certificates
• Keep track of your trial and subscription

Staying in Touch:

• Send you important account updates
• Notify you about job applications and messages
• Answer your questions and provide support

Making Things Better:

• Understand how people use our platform so we can improve it
• Fix technical issues quickly
• Gather feedback to create features you’ll love

Keeping Everyone Safe:

• Prevent spam and scams
• Protect against fraud
• Keep the platform secure for everyone

Sharing News (only if you want us to):

• Send newsletters with helpful tips
• Let you know about new courses or features
• Share special offers

You can opt out of newsletters anytime through your account settings.

3. Who We Share Your Information With

We never sell your information. Ever. Here’s who we share with and why:

3.1 Other Users (You Control What They See)

Your Contact Details Are Private:

• Your email address and phone number are never automatically shared with other users
• All messaging happens securely on our platform
• You decide when you’re comfortable sharing your contact details
• You can choose to add contact information to your profile if you want to

What Other Users See:

If You’re a Childcare Provider:

• Families and agencies see your profile (experience, qualifications, availability)
• They see your contact details only if you choose to include them in your profile
• Otherwise, they message you through our secure platform messaging system

If You’re a Family:

• Childcare providers see your job postings and household information
• They see your contact details only if you choose to include them in your profile
• Otherwise, candidates message you through our secure platform messaging system

If You’re an Agency:

• Your business information appears in our agency directory
• Caregivers see your job postings
• Contact happens through our platform unless you add details to your profile

You’re in control: Share your contact information when you’re ready, not before.

3.2 Our Trusted Partners

We work with carefully selected companies to help run our platform:

• Payment processors keep your transactions secure
• Hosting providers store your data safely
• Email services deliver your notifications
• Analytics tools help us improve the platform
• Course platforms deliver your training materials

All our partners are required to protect your data and only use it for the services we’ve asked them to provide.

3.3 International Opportunities (Only If You’re Interested)

Genesis Au Pairs:

We partner with Genesis Au Pairs to help caregivers find international placements.

How This Works:

• If you want to work abroad, we share your profile with Genesis Au Pairs
• This only happens after you tell us you’re interested
• We’ll let you know before sharing anything

What We Share:

• Your profile (name, experience, qualifications, certificates)
• Your contact details
• Documents you’ve uploaded (references, certificates, photos)
• Your preferences and availability

Genesis Au Pairs uses this to match you with families in the United States, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and China.

3.4 Legal Requirements

We may share information if the law requires it, such as:

• Responding to court orders or legal processes
• Protecting our users’ safety
• Preventing fraud or illegal activity

4. How Long We Keep Your Information

We only keep your data as long as we need it:

Your Account:

• Your profile stays active until you delete it
• When you delete your account, we remove it within 30 days (except for data we legally need to keep)

Your Messages:

• Platform messages are kept for 30 days after your last activity
• Support emails are kept for 30 days

Your Courses:

• Certificates stay in our system forever (so you can prove your qualifications)
• Course progress is deleted 12 months after you finish

Payment Records:

• Kept for 7 years for tax purposes (required by law)

Community Posts:

• Comments and posts stay up to keep conversations meaningful
• You can ask us to remove specific posts anytime

5. Cookies (The Website Kind)

We use cookies to make your experience better. Cookies are small files that remember your preferences.

5.1 Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies:

• Keep you logged in
• Remember your security settings
• These are necessary for the platform to work

Preference Cookies:

• Save your language choice
• Remember your display settings
• Store your saved searches

Analytics Cookies:

• Show us how people use the platform
• Help us fix problems
• Guide us in making improvements

Marketing Cookies (only with your permission):

• Remember what you’ve looked at
• Help us show you relevant information

5.2 Managing Cookies

You can turn off cookies in your browser settings. Just know that some features won’t work properly without them.

6. Your Rights (You’re In Control)

You have complete control over your information:

See Your Data: Ask for a copy of everything we have about you

Fix Mistakes: Update your information anytime through your account

Delete Your Data: Request deletion of your account and information

Download Your Data: Get a copy of your data to use elsewhere

Stop Marketing: Unsubscribe from our newsletters anytime

Limit Use: Ask us to restrict how we use your data

Object: Tell us if you don’t want us using your data for certain things

To exercise these rights, just email us at hello@theaupairclub.com.

We’ll respond within 30 days.

7. How We Keep Your Data Safe

Your security is our top priority:

• Bank-Level Encryption: All data transfers are encrypted
• Secure Servers: Your information is stored on protected servers
• Payment Security: We use trusted payment processors and never store your full card details
• Restricted Access: Only authorized team members can access your data
• Regular Security Checks: We constantly monitor for vulnerabilities

How You Can Help:

• Use a strong, unique password
• Keep your login details private
• Log out on shared devices
• Let us know if you notice anything suspicious

While we do everything we can to protect your data, no online system is 100% secure. We’re committed to doing our best.

8. Age Requirements

Our platform is for adults only:

• You must be 18 or older to create an account
• We don’t knowingly collect information from anyone under 18
• If we discover someone under 18 has signed up, we delete their information immediately

For Parents:

• Don’t create accounts for your children
• Family accounts should only be managed by adults

If you think someone under 18 has created an account, please let us know at hello@theaupairclub.com.

9. Your Posts and Photos

9.1 Comments

When you post in our community:

• Your name and photo appear with your comments
• We collect some basic information to prevent spam
• You’re responsible for what you post

9.2 Photos and Documents

When uploading images:

• Remove location data from your photos if you don’t want people to know where they were taken
• Remember that other users can download images you upload
• We’re not responsible for information embedded in your photos

10. Content From Other Websites

Sometimes we include videos, social media posts, or other content from external websites.

When you interact with this content:

• It works as if you visited that website directly
• Those websites may track you
• They have their own privacy policies

We recommend checking the privacy policies of any external sites you interact with.

11. Links to Other Websites

Our platform includes links to:

• Partner agencies
• Genesis Au Pairs
• Social media
• Payment processors

We’re not responsible for how these websites handle your privacy. Check their privacy policies before sharing personal information.

12. Your Agreement

By using The Au Pair Club, you agree to:

• How we collect and use your information
• Sharing data with our service providers and partners
• Use of cookies and tracking

You can withdraw your agreement anytime by deleting your account or contacting us.

13. If Something Goes Wrong

If we ever experience a data breach:

• We’ll tell you within 72 hours
• We’ll inform the authorities as required
• We’ll take immediate steps to fix the problem
• We’ll give you advice on protecting yourself

14. Privacy Standards We Follow

We comply with:

• POPIA (South Africa)
• GDPR (European Union)
• International consumer privacy standards

15. Updates to This Policy

We may update this policy to:

• Reflect changes to our services
• Meet new legal requirements
• Improve our privacy protections

When we make changes:

• We’ll update the “Last Updated” date
• For major changes, we’ll email you or post a notice
• Continuing to use our platform means you accept the updates

16. Questions? We’re Here to Help

If you have questions or concerns about your privacy:

Email: hello@theaupairclub.com

Response Time:
We aim to reply within 48 hours on business days.