Reviewed/Updated October 2024
The Nevada Registry takes the privacy of our members and the protection of information about individual members seriously. All the information provided on the online membership application or renewal form is confidential. It is the responsibility of The Nevada Registry staff to protect member’s information, privacy, and confidentiality of all information collected through the application and renewal process.
Staff Confidentiality, Responsibilities and Standards
All staff, volunteers, interns, or any other individual acting in any capacity on behalf of The Nevada Registry are required to sign a Confidentiality Agreement which is then stored in their personnel file. Staff are routinely reminded of their confidentiality obligations as part of the daily operations of the program.
In the event The Nevada Registry requests assistance from the Registry Advisory Committee or the Training Approval System (TAS) Advisory Workgroup regarding policy creation or a decision regarding an individual member, applicant (i.e. appeal) or trainer, personal information may be shared with the committee members in a manner that protects confidentiality. All Registry Advisory Committee and TAS Advisory Workgroup members have signed a Confidentiality Agreement that specifies the expectations for the confidential handling of personal information.
Registry staff will not use member’s names in public or talk about any information contained in a member’s file with anyone outside the organization (except for Child Care Licensing when needed as related to fraud), on any social media platform or otherwise. The Nevada Registry office is physically located in a shared office space with several other programs, and the general ECE public is frequently on-site for training, community meetings and other professional development events. As a result, careful attention is paid to ensure telephone conversations that can be heard by others in the building are handled discreetly to protect the privacy of our members. Furthermore, discussion regarding members’ information will be held in staff offices, or other places that assure privacy (including secure ZOOM/GoTo staff meetings when conducting virtually).
File Storage and Protection
The Nevada Registry transitioned to a paperless system in January 2021. All Membership Applications, Update/Renewal Forms and supporting documentation are uploaded electronically by members via their secure, password-protected Online Portal account. The Nevada Registry does not maintain any physical storage of paper enrollment forms. All documentation is saved as an electronic record and stored in a secure database on the Washoe County School District main server.
All electronic information is kept in a secure database on a secure server. The Nevada Registry database is password protected and has a secure SSL connection. To ensure unauthorized access to the database, the system is programmed to automatically log the user out after 20 minutes of inactivity. To regain access to the database, staff must re-enter their individual login credentials. Desktop computers are also set to log the user out after 15 minutes of inactivity and require a password upon waking up from sleep mode.
If at any time documentation is received via email the file is uploaded and stored digitally in our secure database. Faxed or physical documents are not accepted. If The Nevada Registry receives physical documents, the member is notified and asked to submit documents electronically. All original paper documents are placed in locked recycle bins and shredded via a secure shredding service. To hide sensitive information, all personally identifiable information received digitally is marked out with the redaction pen within the document management system. If physical copies are received, a black marker is used before the file is scanned and converted into an electronic record. Staff pay careful attention not to email personally identifiable information that could leave members vulnerable to identity theft and/or allow unauthorized persons access to a member’s account via the secure Online Portal. If replacement documentation requested by members contains any personally identifiable information (e.g., transcripts), sensitive information is marked out prior to sending it electronically via email.
Member Agreement
Both the Membership Application and Update/Renewal forms include a Member Agreement in the last section of the online forms that includes a brief overview of the confidentiality policy. This section outlines the parameters by which Registry data is used and shared with funders, partners, and the community. Members are encouraged to review and understand this agreement before accepting it. Applicants and members must digitally accept the agreement to submit their application or renewal form.
Registry Identification Number
A unique identifier/Registry ID, separate from the member’s Date of Birth (DOB), is internally assigned by the data system upon creation of a new account. Once an applicant has successfully submitted a complete application and it has been processed, this ID number is made available to the applicant. This number remains assigned to that individual regardless of status or extended lapses in membership and will not be reused for any other member. Electronic records are never deleted from the database. An email address and an applicant’s DOB are required on Membership Applications and Update/Renewal Forms and are used to verify identity should members lose their Registry ID and/or need to contact our office to obtain any information about their account or documentation contained within their file.
Date of Birth and Email Address
Date of Birth (DOB) and an email address are the only unique identifiers used for verification when corresponding with members over the phone. For this reason, they are required data fields when requesting access to the online Membership Application. Membership accounts cannot be created without a DOB or email address. Though an individual’s DOB is typically provided by their director when requesting account creation on their behalf, the individual is required to provide their DOB again when completing the Membership Application. If the DOB provided by the director is incorrect, it will be overwritten with the data provided by the individual. Additional business rules are in place to reduce/prevent erroneous entries (i.e., entering the current date instead of their DOB, etc.). The email address provided must be correct otherwise the applicant will not have access to their Online Portal to complete the application process and/or to manage their account. Email addresses can only be updated by contacting The Nevada Registry directly to request a change.
Social Security Numbers
Prior to 2020, the last five digits of a member’s Social Security number (SSN) were collected as a unique identifier and were used for verification purposes only. In the event that a member supplied their full SSN via a copy of their Social Security card or by writing it on the application, all but the last five digits were marked out with a black marker to hide sensitive information before the file was scanned and converted into an electronic record. SSNs are no longer required since the launch of the online application and renewal processes and have been removed from membership accounts for those that provided it previously. If a copy of a Social Security card is uploaded, the document will be deleted (if submitted separately from other documentation). If included on the same page as other required documentation, the information will be fully marked out using the redaction pen within our document management system.
Driver’s Licenses
The Nevada Registry does not request a copy of a member’s driver’s license. If a copy is uploaded, the document will be deleted (if submitted separately from other documentation). If included on the same page as other required documentation, the information will be fully marked out using the redaction pen within our document management system.
Verifying Identity/Release of Information
Copies of documents contained within a member’s file can be provided and released to individuals upon request; only after their identity has been verified. If at any point a member contacts The Nevada Registry regarding information contained in their file, staff will make every attempt to maintain strict confidentiality by verifying a member’s identity prior to releasing information that would be considered confidential. Registry staff must ask for a member’s date of birth (DOB) to verify identity prior to releasing any confidential information to the individual over the phone. If there is a question about an individual’s identity after asking for DOB, staff will ask additional questions to help verify the person’s identity (birth name, mailing address, etc.). Only when a person’s identity has been verified will the information within the file be discussed.
If a person’s DOB/identity cannot be verified, information will not be verbally disclosed over the phone. The member will need to submit a ‘Request for Replacement Documentation Form’ to obtain information contained within their file.
Frequently, directors or program administrators will contact The Nevada Registry to request information contained within a member’s file for the purposes of preparing for annual visits from Child Care Licensing. To discuss and/or release any information contained in a member’s file, staff must request to speak to the individual, verify their identity as outlined above and receive verbal confirmation that we have permission to release the requested information to the director before proceeding.
Release Statement
As a policy, The Nevada Registry does not release any personal information about our members. However, a release statement is included on the Membership Application and Update/Renewal Form, when checked, grants permission to The Nevada Registry to release a member’s name and contact information to organizations that would like to notify them of upcoming training events/opportunities, special offers/events, membership prizes, scholarship opportunities, etc. If a member authorizes the release by checking the box, the only information provided to agencies is their name and email address. Career Ladder levels, employment information, or any other personal information contained in a member’s file is not released.
Child Care Licensing Surveyors, QRIS coaching staff and center directors/program administrative staff with permission rights (beginning in 2020) are provided with read-only login credentials to conduct a limited database search for the purposes of verifying membership with the Registry/ensuring compliance with the Child Care Licensing regulation regarding mandatory participation. Currently, the only information available through this search for Child Care Surveyors and center directors/program administrative staff is the status of an individual’s application, their last reported employer, Registry ID# and their certificate expiration date. In the future, licensing surveyors may also have access to the ‘Training Documentation’ section of Registry member’s accounts for the purposes of streamlining their inspection processes related to training verification. Coaching staff have access to Career Ladder levels to assist with the star-rating verification process. Personal information such as prior work history or any other personal information is not accessible.
Media Consent and Release Form
The Registry may use member information as tools for recognition, recruitment, and marketing in various forms of media including printed materials such as newsletters, program brochures and annual reports, and through digital images posted to The Nevada Registry website and on social media sites.
Written permission is sought prior to using a member’s name, picture and/or written statements in print, video, and/or digital media. Verbal permission may be requested when interacting face-to-face with members at conferences and other public events where social media is being actively utilized. Only when the individual has granted permission either through an email message or by signing a Media Consent and Release Form (or verbally when face-to-face), will the individual’s information be used. The Nevada Registry will honor any requests by members who do not wish to participate.
Professional Development Plans
Active members of The Nevada Registry have the option to create an electronic Professional Development Plan (PDP). Access to the tool is available from within each member’s Online Portal and is only granted once the individual has successfully logged into their portal (inactive members do not have access to their PDP until their membership is reinstated). Members can create their PDP and update it as often as they desire so long as their membership with The Nevada Registry remains active.
The plan members create is for personal use only. Other than for authentication purposes, plans are not tied to The Nevada Registry’s membership database, are not reviewed by The Nevada Registry staff, nor are they saved in a member’s account/Career Development file (plans are saved on a separate database housed at an external web-hosting company). For this reason, members are encouraged to save their plan often as they work through it and print it out as needed. The Nevada Registry is not able to provide members with the password assigned upon creation of their Online Portal, nor with copies of plans should they be misplaced. A password reset link can be requested from the Online Portal login page of The Nevada Registry website to allow members to regain access to their account and PDP.