Privacy Policy & Disclaimers

What We Collect and Why

• Newsletter signups: Name and email address, used solely to send the weekly newsletter.
• Event signups & field trip registration: Parent name, email, and student count for logistics coordination of field trips and hosted events.
• Account data: Email and authentication data for optional sign-in (saved events, admin access). Accounts are only available to adults age 18 or older.
• Submitted events and directory listings: Organizer name, email, and event details for curation and publishing.
• Community group suggestions: Suggested group name, area, audience description, optional Facebook link, and optional email for follow-up.
• Resource matchmaking: Name and email for families requesting or offering educational resources, used to facilitate connections through us.
• Mentorship requests: Parent name, email, student ages, and areas of interest (e.g. college prep, career exploration) to connect families with mentors.
• High-school support requests: Parent name, email, and student grade level (9–12) to provide targeted guidance.
• Consultation booking (ESA): Parent name, email, session type, budget range, and notes for scheduling ESA navigation support.
• Hub night discussion comments: Display name and comment text posted to community discussion threads. Requires sign-in.
• Directory reports: When a user flags a directory listing, we collect the report text and account information to review the report.

Children’s Privacy

This website is designed for use by parents and guardians of homeschooled children. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under the age of 13.

Some forms collect information about minors (such as student grade level, age range, or student count) — this information is provided by parents and is used solely for logistics coordination and matching families with appropriate resources. We do not collect children’s names, dates of birth, or direct contact information.

Account creation requires the user to confirm they are at least 18 years old. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us personal information, please contact us at info@homeschoolatlas.com and we will promptly delete it.

Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to operate this website:

• Firebase (Google Cloud): Authentication, database hosting, and optional analytics. See Firebase Privacy Policy.
• Google Analytics (via Firebase): If enabled, collects anonymized usage data including pages visited, device type, and approximate location. Analytics cookies are set only after you consent via our cookie banner.
• Google Fonts: Fonts are bundled at build time by Next.js, so visitors do not make direct browser requests to Google Fonts while using our site. See Google Fonts Privacy FAQ.
• Unsplash: We load a hosted hero image from Unsplash on the homepage. Unsplash may receive technical request data (such as IP address and browser details) when that image is requested.
• SMTP email service (Nodemailer): Used to send newsletters and transactional emails. Your email address is transmitted to our email service provider for delivery.

Cookies & Local Storage

This site uses cookies and browser local storage for the following purposes:

• Essential (authentication): Firebase Auth stores authentication tokens in your browser’s local storage to keep you signed in. These are necessary for account functionality.
• Analytics (optional): If you consent via our cookie banner, Google Analytics cookies are set to help us understand how families use the site. You can withdraw consent at any time by clearing your cookies.
• Cookie consent preference: We store your cookie consent choice in local storage so we don’t ask you again on every visit.

What We Don’t Do With Data

• We do not sell family data.
• We do not share family email lists with sponsors. Sponsors reach families through our newsletter placements, not direct access.
• We never collect children’s names, dates of birth, or personally identifying information about minors.

Data Retention & Deletion

We retain your personal data only as long as necessary to provide our services:

• Newsletter subscribers: Retained until you unsubscribe. Unsubscribed records are kept in an inactive state for 90 days to prevent accidental re-subscription, then deleted.
• Account data: Retained until you request deletion.
• Form submissions (mentorship requests, consultation bookings, resource requests, high-school support requests, field-trip signups, group suggestions, and directory reports): retained for up to 12 months from submission, then deleted.

We use scheduled retention cleanup jobs to apply these deletion windows.

To request access to or deletion of your data, email info@homeschoolatlas.com with the subject line “Data Request”. We will respond within 30 days.

Email Communications

Our newsletter (“Parent Notes”) is sent weekly on Sundays. By subscribing, you consent to receive this newsletter at the email address you provide. Every email includes an unsubscribe link. You can also reply to any newsletter with “unsubscribe” to be removed.

We do not send unsolicited commercial emails. If you unsubscribe and later re-enter your email on our signup form, you will be asked to confirm before being re-subscribed.

Photo Policy

Photos taken at Hosted events may be used on the Hub website and social media. Families can opt out by notifying us at any time. No photos of children are posted with identifying names. Coordinated and Listed events follow their own hosts’ policies.

Contact Safety

The Hub does not provide direct messaging between families. Resource matchmaking uses a request form routed through us. We do not publish family contact information. Event organizer contact is published only with consent.

Disclaimers

• The Homeschool Atlas provides information and coordination services only. We are not a school, a co-op, or a legal or financial advisor.
• Listed events and directory entries are community-submitted and do not constitute endorsement by the Hub.
• Information about Louisiana homeschool law, GATOR ESA, and college preparation is provided for general guidance only. Families should verify requirements with official state sources.
• Parent/guardian supervision is required at all community meetups and events unless otherwise stated.
• The Hub is not responsible for the actions, policies, or safety practices of third-party organizations, businesses, or event hosts listed on this site.
• Deals and sponsor listings on this site may represent paid placements. See our Deals page for details.

Terms of Use

By using this website you agree to our Terms of Service.

Questions?

Contact us at info@homeschoolatlas.com with any questions about our data practices or policies.