Privacy Policy

Last updated: 22 May 2026

Better Start for Children with Disability is committed to protecting the privacy of the families, carers, and members of the public who use this website and our information service. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and the rights you have over your information. It applies to betterstart.net.au and any related services we provide.

This service is managed by Carers Australia and funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services. We handle personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

1. What information we collect

We only collect personal information that is reasonably necessary to deliver our information service. Depending on how you use the site, this may include:

• Contact details: your name, email address, phone number, postcode, or state when you submit an enquiry form or email us.
• Information about your enquiry: the question or topic you are contacting us about, including any details about your child you choose to share.
• Technical information: IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, referring URL, and approximate location collected automatically through standard server logs and analytics.
• Correspondence: copies of emails, messages, or call notes when you contact us.

You do not have to provide personal information to browse the public pages of this website, but some functions (such as contact forms) will not work without it.

2. How we use your information

We use personal information for the purpose it was collected for and for related purposes you would reasonably expect, including to:

• Respond to your questions, requests, or complaints.
• Connect you with your state-based Carers Association or other relevant services.
• Improve the quality, accuracy, and usefulness of the information we publish.
• Measure how the website is performing (in aggregate, non-identifying form).
• Comply with legal obligations, including reporting requirements under government funding agreements.

We do not sell your personal information to anyone, and we do not use it for marketing without your consent.

3. When we share your information

We will only share your personal information where it is necessary to deliver our service or required by law. This may include:

• State Carers Associations: when you ask to be referred to your state contact, we share the minimum information needed for them to assist you.
• Service providers: trusted third parties that help us operate the website (hosting, email delivery, analytics). These providers are bound to handle your information securely and only for the purposes we specify.
• Government and regulators: where we are legally required to disclose information, for example to comply with a court order or a regulator’s request.

4. How we store and protect your information

We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect personal information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. These include encrypted transmission of form data, restricted internal access, and secure storage with our service providers.

We retain personal information only for as long as needed to fulfil the purpose it was collected for, or as required by law. Enquiry records are typically kept for up to seven years.

5. Cookies and analytics

This website uses cookies and similar technologies for essential functionality (such as remembering whether you have dismissed a banner) and to measure aggregate usage. Where analytics cookies are used, the data is collected in a form that does not identify individual users.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Blocking cookies may affect how some parts of the site work, but core information will remain accessible.

6. Your rights

Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:

• Ask what personal information we hold about you.
• Ask us to correct information that is inaccurate, out of date, or incomplete.
• Withdraw consent to future use of your information (where we relied on consent).
• Make a complaint if you believe we have mishandled your information.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe, usually within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au or 1300 363 992.

7. Children’s privacy

This website is for parents, carers, and professionals supporting children with disability. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children. If you become aware that a child has submitted information to us, please contact us and we will delete it.

8. Links to other websites

Our website contains links to external sites (such as the NDIS, Carers Australia, and state-based partners). We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those websites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any information.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or in the law. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page shows when it was most recently revised. Material changes will be communicated on the site.

10. Contact us about privacy

If you have a question about this policy, or you want to access, correct, or complain about how we handle your information, please contact us via the contact page. We will treat all privacy-related enquiries seriously and confidentially.