To ensure the confidentiality and proper use of personal information relating to clients, employees and Board members, the Child Witness Centre will conduct its work in accordance with laws and regulations relating to privacy, and with the following principles:
- The Child Witness Centre will collect only that personal information which is relevant to the delivery of its services and is as accurate and complete as possible, and will retain such information only as long as it remains relevant or is required by law. Any information received from a client will be used only for the purposes communicated to the client.
- Child Witness Centre staff and Board members will maintain, utilize and dispose of all personal information in a manner commensurate with its sensitivity and confidentiality. Access to such information will be only to employees and Board members with legitimate business needs.
- The Child Witness Centre will not disclose personal information to others outside the Agency without the signed authorization of the person concerned, except where required by law or to protect the interests of the agency or in the discharge of public duty. When personal information is provided to any other person in accordance with those principles, due concern will be given to protect the source and confidentiality of the information.
- Any person may review personal information about him/her retained in the Agency’s records and may request that the Child Witness Centre correct or clarify such information.
The names of individuals and organizations making a donation to the Child Witness Centre are recorded in our donor database along with address and donation amount. This information is treated as confidential and is not shared with any external organizations. It is used for purposes of reporting the total of our tax-receipted gifts to Revenue Canada and to send information to donors including: our newsletters, our Annual Report, appeals for funds and invitations to special events.
Donors are recognized in our newsletter, on our website, in our Annual Report and periodically in the newspaper, unless they have requested that their donation(s) remain anonymous.