Independent Steps – Privacy Policy
Effective Date: October 16, 2026
Independent Steps is a free educational mobile application developed by the Chinese American Parent Association of Howard County (CAPA-HC) as part of its SEEDS special education program.
CAPA-HC is committed to protecting the privacy of families who use Independent Steps. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use and protect it, how third-party services process information, and how users can request deletion of their accounts and associated data.
1. About Independent Steps
Independent Steps helps parents and caregivers support children, including children with developmental disabilities, in learning daily living and independence skills.
The app provides:
Psychologist-guided educational videos and strategies
Customizable step-by-step skill instructions
Personalized visual learning supports
Practice tracking and progress reports
A virtual garden that recognizes caregiver engagement
AI-assisted educational guidance for challenging skill steps
The app is intended primarily for parents and caregivers. It is not designed for children to independently create or manage accounts.
2. Information We Collect
We collect information necessary to provide and maintain the app’s features.
Account Information
When users create an account, we may collect:
Email address
Account identification information
Authentication credentials, securely managed through Firebase Authentication
Student Profile Information
Parents and caregivers may voluntarily provide:
Student name or nickname
Age
Gender
Strengths and interests
Learning barriers or challenges
Selected avatar
Users are encouraged to use a nickname rather than a child’s full legal name and to provide only the information needed to personalize learning activities.
Learning and Activity Information
We may store:
Selected daily living skills
Customized skill instructions
Practice activities and progress records
App preferences and virtual garden progress
Technical Information
Our service providers may process technical information necessary to operate and secure the app, such as device identifiers, diagnostic information, error reports, and service activity logs.
3. How We Use Information
We use collected information to:
Create and manage user accounts
Save student profiles and learning preferences
Personalize skill instructions and visual supports
Track practice activities and display progress reports
Provide AI-assisted educational guidance
Maintain app functionality, security, and reliability
Respond to support requests and resolve technical problems
We do not sell personal information or use student information for targeted advertising.
4. Photos and Visual Supports
Independent Steps allows users to select photos from their devices to create personalized visual learning materials.
Photos selected for visual templates are processed locally on the user’s device and are not intentionally uploaded to Firebase through this feature.
Users control which photos they select and save.
Photos saved to a user’s device remain under that user’s control and are not automatically removed when an Independent Steps account is deleted.
5. AI-Assisted Educational Guidance
Independent Steps includes an AI-assisted feature that helps parents and caregivers understand why a child may experience difficulty with a particular skill step and suggests practical strategies to support learning.
When users request AI assistance, information relevant to the request may be transmitted to a third-party AI service provider, including:
The skill or activity being discussed
The specific step presenting difficulty
The question or description entered by the parent or caregiver
Relevant student learning characteristics, when used to personalize the response
Important information about AI data processing:
Information submitted to an AI service is processed outside the Independent Steps application.
Third-party AI providers may temporarily retain requests and responses according to their own data retention and security policies.
Deleting an Independent Steps account does not automatically delete information previously processed or retained by an AI provider.
CAPA-HC cannot guarantee immediate deletion of information already transmitted to third-party AI services.
We encourage users not to include children’s full legal names, contact information, medical records, or other unnecessary sensitive personal information in AI requests.
AI-generated responses are intended for educational support only. They do not replace individualized advice from qualified educators, psychologists, therapists, or medical professionals.
6. Data Storage and Security
Independent Steps uses Google Firebase services to support authentication, application data storage, and related functionality.
We use reasonable technical and organizational safeguards, including secure data transmission and access controls, to protect user information.
Access to stored information is intended to be limited to authorized users and services as necessary for app functionality.
Although we take reasonable precautions, no electronic system can guarantee absolute security.
7. Children’s Privacy
Independent Steps supports families of children with developmental disabilities and other learning needs.
The app is intended to be operated by parents and caregivers rather than by children independently.
Parents and caregivers decide what information to provide about the children they support and are responsible for managing their accounts.
We encourage families to:
Use student nicknames instead of full legal names
Avoid entering unnecessary sensitive personal information
Review information before submitting questions to the AI feature
Manage and delete account information when it is no longer needed
We do not knowingly encourage children to create independent accounts or submit personal information directly to the app.
8. Third-Party Services and Information Sharing
Independent Steps uses third-party services to operate its features.
These may include:
Google Firebase
Used for account authentication, application data storage, and supporting infrastructure.
OpenAI
Used to generate AI-assisted educational guidance in response to user requests. Information transmitted for AI processing is subject to the provider’s applicable data handling and retention practices.
Apple and Google
Provide app distribution and related mobile platform services.
We share information with service providers only as necessary to deliver application features, maintain security, provide support, or comply with applicable legal obligations.
We do not sell or rent personal information to advertisers.
9. Account Deletion and Data Removal
Independent Steps allows users to request deletion of their accounts and associated application data.
Users can initiate account deletion within the app or contact CAPA-HC for assistance.
Option 1: Delete Your Account in the App
Open Independent Steps.
Sign in to your account.
Navigate to the account settings or account management section.
Select Delete Account.
Follow the on-screen instructions to confirm deletion.
Option 2: Request Account Deletion by Email
Users who cannot access their accounts or need assistance can submit a deletion request by email.
Email: developer@capa-hc.org
Subject: Independent Steps – Account Deletion Request
Whenever possible, requests should be sent from the email address associated with the account.
We may request additional information to verify account ownership before processing the request.
What Information Is Deleted?
When an account is deleted, the deletion process is intended to remove the following account-associated information from active Independent Steps systems:
User authentication account
Student profiles
Customized skill instructions and saved preferences
Practice records and progress information
Virtual garden records and other associated application data
Locally saved photos and visual materials are not automatically removed from the user’s personal device. Users can delete those files directly.
Information That May Remain Temporarily
Certain information may not be deleted immediately, including:
Data temporarily retained in system backups
Security or technical logs retained by infrastructure providers
Information retained where required by applicable law
Information previously transmitted to third-party AI services
AI Data Retention
Information previously sent to OpenAI or another AI service provider may be retained according to that provider’s applicable retention policies.
Deleting an Independent Steps account does not automatically delete information previously transmitted to an AI provider.
CAPA-HC does not guarantee deletion of third-party AI processing records as part of the in-app account deletion process.
Requests to Delete Specific Information
Users may contact developer@capa-hc.org to request assistance with deleting particular account-associated information without necessarily deleting their entire account.
Such requests will be reviewed based on the information available and the technical capabilities of the application.
10. Data Retention
We retain account and application information while it is needed to provide Independent Steps services or until the user requests deletion, subject to applicable legal, technical, and security requirements.
Following deletion, limited information may remain temporarily in backups, technical logs, or third-party systems according to their applicable retention practices.
We do not retain personal information longer than reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, except where otherwise required or permitted by law.
11. Changes to This Privacy Policy
CAPA-HC may update this Privacy Policy as Independent Steps evolves or as applicable privacy requirements change.
Updates will be published on this webpage with a revised effective date.
We encourage users to review the policy periodically.
12. Contact Information
For questions about privacy, account deletion, or personal information associated with Independent Steps, please contact:
Chinese American Parent Association of Howard County (CAPA-HC)
SEEDS Special Education Program
Email: developer@capa-hc.org
Website: https://www.capa-hc.org/
Privacy Policy: https://www.capa-hc.org/independent-steps-privacy-policy/
