Privacy Policy

Anonymous usage data (always collected)

Every visitor to the hub gets a random anonymous identifier stored in a cookie called hub_session_id. It is a 128-bit random number with no link to your real identity. We use it to count unique visitors and measure how the hub is being used. Specifically we record:

• The pages you visited and the order you visited them in
• The ZIP code you searched (so we know which areas need more resources)
• The categories you filtered by
• Which resources you opened
• How long you stayed on the site
• Whether you returned later (matched on the same cookie)
• Your device type (mobile / tablet / desktop) and rough browser info

This data tells us "500 people in 48201 searched for food this month" — never "Jane Doe searched for food."

Account data (only if you create an account)

Creating an account is optional. If you do, we store:

• Your email address (used for sign-in and account recovery)
• An optional display name
• An optional ZIP code (to prefill searches)
• Resources you mark as favorites
• Whether you opted in to a single follow-up email 14–60 days after your first visit (asking if our resources actually helped)

We never collect your address, phone number, social security number, foster care case number, or any other identifying document. You can delete your account at any time (see "Your rights" below).

Survey responses (optional)

After you use the search, we may invite you to answer a short optional survey. Every question is skippable and the whole survey can be dismissed. If you answer, we store your answers linked only to your hub_session_id (or your account ID, if signed in). We do not link survey responses to your IP address, name, or any external identifier.

Contact form submissions

If you contact us, we store the name, email, optional phone number, and message you provided. This is used only to reply to you and is not shared.

• Your IP address. We do not store IP addresses anywhere in our database.
• Your precise location. The most location detail we keep is the ZIP code you typed.
• Your real name (unless you explicitly enter it on the contact form or in your account display name).
• Foster care system identifiers like case numbers, social workers, or placement details.
• Browsing history outside this site. We have no third-party trackers.
• Advertising or marketing data. The hub does not show ads, will never show ads, and does not share your data with advertisers.

The hub runs on these services. Each handles data narrowly:

• Vercel — website hosting and analytics. Vercel Analytics is cookieless and stores hashed IP addresses for 24 hours only (used to deduplicate page views), then discards them.
• Clerk — sign-in and account management. Stores your email, password, and session tokens. Sends login magic-link emails. Subject to Clerk's privacy policy.
• Neon — Postgres database hosting. All account, survey, contact, and analytics data lives here. Encrypted in transit and at rest.
• Resend — transactional email delivery for contact-form notifications and follow-up survey emails. Sends mail from @wecarefostercare.org.
• Google Maps Platform— used to populate resource listings on a weekly schedule. Listings include place names, addresses, and phone numbers from Google. Search results powered by Google are labeled "Community" on result cards. Subject to Google's privacy policy.

We do not sell or share your data with any party outside the ones above, ever.

The hub sets only first-party cookies:

• hub_session_id — anonymous, 400-day expiry, HttpOnly, Secure, SameSite=Lax. Used for analytics and repeat-visit tracking.
• Clerk session cookies — only set if you create an account and sign in. Manage your authenticated session.

No third-party cookies, no advertising cookies, no fingerprinting scripts.

• To show you nearby resources matching your search
• To improve the platform — figuring out which categories users need most, which areas are under-served, and which resources never get clicked
• For grant reporting. Funders ask us to prove the hub helps people. We share aggregate counts (e.g., "1,200 unique users in metro Detroit searched for shelter this quarter"), never individual records.
• To send the optional follow-up email asking if our resources actually helped — only if you opted in

• Delete your account — sign in, then email hub@wecarefostercare.org from the address on the account. We delete your row and all linked data within 7 days.
• Opt out of follow-up emails — go to your profile and uncheck the follow-up box.
• Request a copy of your data — email us from the account address. We send the export within 30 days.
• Clear your anonymous tracking— clear your browser's cookies for this site. The next visit starts with a fresh hub_session_id, unlinked to your prior history.
• Stop using the hub — no questions, no friction. We do not make you delete an account to leave.

• Anonymous events: kept indefinitely so we can compare year-over-year trends. Linked only to hub_session_id, which has no link to your real identity.
• Account data: kept until you delete your account, then removed within 7 days.
• Survey responses: kept indefinitely (anonymous and aggregated for reporting).
• Contact submissions: kept while We Care Foster Care needs them for follow-up. Old contacts are archived but not deleted unless requested.

Data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS) and at rest in our Postgres database. Account passwords are managed and hashed by Clerk — we never see them. Admin access requires Clerk sign-in plus a database role grant.

No system is perfectly secure. If you discover a vulnerability or believe your data has been compromised, please email us at hub@wecarefostercare.org.

We Care Hub is intended for users 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe a minor under 13 has signed up, please contact us and we will delete their account.

We may update this policy as the hub evolves. The effective date at the top of this page reflects the most recent change. Material changes — like adding a new third-party service or collecting a new type of data — will be announced via a banner on the hub homepage for at least 30 days.

We Care Foster Care
Email: hub@wecarefostercare.org
Website: wecarefostercare.org