Privacy Policy

Every Child TN • Everychildtn.org

Effective Date: July 16, 2026 Last Updated: July 16, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how the Governor's Faith-Based and Community Initiative ("GFBCI," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and shares information in connection with Everychildtn.org (the "Site"), the informational website for Every Child TN (the "Initiative"), a joint initiative of GFBCI and the Tennessee Department of Children's Services ("DCS").

By using the Site, you agree to this Privacy Policy and to our Terms & Conditions. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.

1. Scope of This Policy

This Policy applies to information collected through the public Everychildtn.org website — for example, when you browse the Site, complete a contact or interest form, or otherwise communicate with us through the Site.

This Policy does not govern information collected when children, youth, or families receive services through the Initiative, or when individuals apply to become foster parents. Please see Section 2 below for important information about how that information is handled.

2. Important Note About Foster Care and Program Information

Every Child TN mobilizes communities to support children, youth, and families before, during, and after foster care. The Site is an informational and connection point — it is not the system through which foster care licensing, child welfare services, or family support services are provided.

Foster parent applications, licensing, placement, and child welfare case information are administered by the Tennessee Department of Children's Services and its authorized providers, and are collected and maintained in DCS systems governed by DCS privacy practices and applicable federal and state law, including legal protections for child welfare records, health information, and education records. This information is not collected or stored by this Site.

Similarly, when individuals, churches, or organizations participate in the Initiative's programs — such as meeting a family's tangible needs, joining a foster family wraparound support team, mentoring, or supporting youth transitioning out of care — information they provide in that context is collected and maintained by the relevant implementation partner in that partner's own systems, governed by that partner's privacy notices, participation agreements, and consent processes. Information about children in state custody is protected by law and is shared among DCS and program partners only as permitted by applicable law and the consents obtained.

If you are a foster parent, applicant, or family receiving services and have questions about how your information is used, please contact DCS or the implementation partner serving you. The remainder of this Policy concerns only information collected through the Site.

3. Information We Collect Through the Site

Information you provide. When you complete a contact or interest form or otherwise communicate with us through the Site, we may collect information such as your name, email address, phone number, organization or affiliation, role, county or area of interest, the way you would like to get involved (for example, fostering, volunteering, or organizational partnership), and the contents of your message.

Information collected automatically. When you visit the Site, we and our service providers may automatically collect certain technical information, such as your IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, referring pages, the pages you view, and the dates and times of your visits. This information is collected through cookies and similar technologies (see Section 5).

We ask that you not submit sensitive personal information — such as health, financial, or other confidential details about yourself or others, or identifying information about a child in state custody — through general contact forms on the Site.

4. How We Use Information

We use the information we collect through the Site to:

  • Respond to your inquiries and communicate with you.
  • Share information and updates about the Initiative, where you have asked to receive them.
  • Connect interested foster parent prospects, volunteers, churches, partners, and supporters with the appropriate implementation partner, DCS contact, or program opportunity.
  • Operate, maintain, evaluate, and improve the Site and our outreach.
  • Protect the security and integrity of the Site and our systems.
  • Comply with applicable law and respond to lawful requests.

5. Cookies and Analytics

The Site may use cookies and similar technologies to operate the Site, remember your preferences, and understand how visitors use the Site. We may use analytics services (such as third-party web analytics providers) that collect and process information about your use of the Site to help us measure and improve performance. You can usually adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent; however, some parts of the Site may not function properly without them.

6. How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information collected through the Site as follows:

  • Service providers. With vendors who perform services on our behalf — such as website hosting, email delivery, customer-relationship management, and analytics — who are authorized to use the information only to provide those services.
  • Program and partner organizations. Where you express interest in getting involved or being connected, we may share your contact information with the relevant implementation partner (such as CarePortal, The Contingent, Tennessee Kids Belong, or Belmont Innovation Labs), the Tennessee Department of Children's Services, or another participating organization so they can follow up with you.
  • Legal and safety. When we believe disclosure is necessary to comply with applicable law or legal process, to enforce our Terms & Conditions, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of GFBCI, our partners, or others — including the safety of a child.
  • Organizational changes. In connection with any merger, reorganization, or transfer of programs or assets, consistent with this Policy.
  • With your consent. In other circumstances where you have given us your consent to do so.

7. Third-Party Services and Links

The Site may contain links to, or integrate services from, third parties, including the Tennessee Department of Children's Services, implementation partners, other nonprofit and government organizations, and analytics providers. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites or services you visit or use.

8. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect information collected through the Site against loss, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Data Retention

We retain information collected through the Site for as long as needed to fulfill the purposes described in this Policy, to respond to your inquiries, to maintain appropriate records, and to comply with our legal obligations. When information is no longer needed, we take reasonable steps to delete or de-identify it.

10. Your Choices

You may choose not to provide certain information, though this may limit our ability to respond to you. If you receive email communications from us, you may opt out by following the unsubscribe instructions in those messages or by contacting us using the information below. You may also contact us to ask about the information we hold about you from your interactions with the Site, or to request that we correct or delete it, and we will respond consistent with applicable law.

11. Children's Privacy

The Site is intended for adults and is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through the Site. If you believe a child has provided personal information through the Site, please contact us so we can take appropriate steps to remove it. Information about children and youth in foster care, and families served through the Initiative, is handled by DCS and implementation partners with the appropriate consents and legal protections, as described in Section 2.

12. Do Not Track

Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" signal. Because there is not yet a common industry standard for how to respond to these signals, the Site does not currently respond to them differently. We will continue to monitor developments in this area.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last Updated" date above. Changes are effective when posted to the Site. Your continued use of the Site after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Policy.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our information practices, please contact us:

Governor's Faith-Based and Community Initiative Every Child TN William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue North, 22nd Floor Nashville, Tennessee 37243

Email: staff@governorsinitiative.org Website: https://www.everychildtn.org