TERMS OF USE

Welcome to the Early Childhood Advisory Web Site, operated and owned by South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness, (“ECAC”) Web Site (the "Site").

In consideration for using this Site, you agree to these Terms of Use.  IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THESE TERMS OF USE, DO NOT USE THIS SITE.  By using this Site (other than to read these Terms of Use for the first time), you agree to these Terms of Use.  SC First Steps reserves the right to change these Terms of Use from time to time and you hereby agree to such changes without further notice.  We suggest that you re-read the Terms of Use and any privacy policies contained on or referred to on this Site from time to time so that you stay informed as to any such changes.  In any event, by using this Site, you agree that you will be bound by the Terms of Use appearing on this Site at the time you are using this Site. References to “us”, “we”, “our”, shall mean SC First Steps, as appropriate.

PRIVACY POLICY

The purpose of this statement is to inform users of the Site with regard to the collection and use of personally identifiable information. Nothing herein should be construed to, nor does it, create any new or different rights than those available under existing State and federal laws.  For the purposes of this statement, "personally identifiable information" means any information relating to an identified or identifiable individual who is the subject of the information. This includes, but is not limited to, information such as names, addresses, email addresses, social security numbers and credit card numbers. SC First Steps may request personally identifiable information to provide requested information or services. In the state of South Carolina, laws exist to ensure that the public has a right to access appropriate records and information possessed by the government and/or state agencies. At the same time, there are exceptions to the public's right to access certain records in order to preserve the privacy of individuals. Such exemptions are authorized by both State and federal laws. Information collected by SC First Steps, may be subject to inspection and copying by the public, unless such an exemption in law exists. In the event that there is a conflict between this Privacy Policy and a State or federal law governing the disclosure of public records, the applicable State or federal law shall control.

SC First Steps collects, retains, and uses personal information about you only when you choose to voluntarily provide such personal information when you register for a SC First Steps service or request information from SC First Steps.

SC First Steps collects, retains, and uses personal information only where it is lawful and is essential to administer and to provide products, services and other opportunities requested by a user.

The Site automatically receives and records information on our logs from your browser including your IP address, which is then linked to personally identifiable information if a user has chosen to subscribe to a service.

E-mail addresses obtained as a result of requests to the SC First Steps Web site will not be sold or given to any organization outside of SC First Steps for marketing purposes. The information collected is subject to the access and confidentiality provisions of the State's Freedom of Information Act and other applicable sections of the South Carolina Code of Laws and/or federal law. E-mail or other information requests sent to the SC First Steps Web site may be maintained to respond to the request, communicate updates to the SC First Steps page that may be of interest to citizens, or provide the SC First Steps Web designer with valuable customer feedback to assist in improving the site. Individuals will be provided with the option to subscribe/unsubscribe to communications regarding new service updates at any time.

COOKIES

A “cookie” is a small piece of data stored on the user's hard drive containing information about the user. Once the user closes their browser, the cookie automatically terminates. The Site automatically receives and records information on our logs from your browser including your IP address, which is not linked to personally identifiable information. We use this information to analyze trends, administer the Site, track user's movement, and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use. SC First Steps is the sole owner of the information collected on our Site. SC First Steps cannot ensure or warrant the security of information transmitted or provided to us, and you do so at your own risk.

All SC First Steps applications and Web pages use "cookies". This information is handled in the same way as other personally identifiable information obtained by SC First Steps  No user information will be gathered through the use of "cookies" except that which is required to run the specific application(s) being accessed by the user.

DATA SECURITY AND QUALITY

SC First Steps is committed to data security and the data quality of personally identifiable information that is either available from, or collected by the Web site, and has taken precautions to protect personally identifiable information from loss, misuse or alteration. Unless otherwise prohibited by state or federal law, rule or regulation, individuals will be given the ability to access and correct personally identifiable information maintained by SC First Steps that may be in error.

PROPRIETARY RIGHTS

This Site and all contents posted on this Site are the exclusive property of SC First Steps or are licensed to SC First Steps for its use.  SC First Steps is the owner or licensee of the copyright in the entire content (including images, text, and look and feel attributes) of this Site and reserves all rights in that regard.  YOU MAY NOT POST, LINK, OR MAKE OTHER MODIFICATIONS TO THIS SITE OR COPY MATERIAL FROM THIS SITE WITHOUT SC FIRST STEPS’ EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT.

SC First Steps does not transfer or grant any of its intellectual property or other rights to you, including any copyright, trademark, service mark or patent rights, all of which SC First Steps expressly reserves for itself.  You may not remove or change any copyright notice on any material on this Site.

THIRD PARTY LINKS

The Site provides links to sites maintained by third parties. SC First Steps does not operate or control in any respect any information, products, materials or services that third parties may provide. Posting of a link does not indicate SC First Steps’ endorsement of that site. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every site they visit. We do not warrant that third party sites or any of its functions will be interrupted or error-free, that defects will be corrected, or any of its servers are free of viruses or other harmful components.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY AND LIABILITY

By using this Site, any programs or tools on the Site, and any third-party sites to which you may link through this Site you agree to: (a) release SC First Steps from any and all claims, liabilities or damages related to such use; and (b) accept all risks related to such us.

You agree not to hold SC First Steps responsible for any damages or injury, whether for breach of contract, tortious behavior, negligence, or under any other cause of action, caused by any failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, computer virus, communication line failure, theft or destruction, or unauthorized access to, alteration of, or use of records or information made available on (a) this Site, (b) any program or other tool available at this Site, or (c) any third-party site to which you may link through this Site.  Without limiting the foregoing, you specifically agree not to hold SC First Steps responsible for the defamatory, offensive, or illegal conduct of any third party using this Site.

ALL MATERIALS ON THIS SITE ARE PROVIDED AS IS, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.  SC FIRST STEPS DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL EXPRESS AND IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

SC FIRST STEPS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOST REVENUES OR LOST PROFITS, THAT MAY RESULT FROM THE USE OF THIS SITE, THE MATERIALS POSTED ON THIS SITE, AND LINKS PROVIDED ON THIS SITE.YOU AREE THAT SC FIRST STEPS TOTAL, AGREEGATE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY AND ALL CLAIMS, SUITS, LIABILITIES AND DAMAGES SHALL NOT EXCEED ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($1000.00)

INDEMNIFICATION

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless SC First Steps and its employees, contractors, agents, officers, and directors, from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs or debt, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney’s fees) arising from: (i) your use of and access to the Site; (ii) your violation of any provisions of these Terms of Use; (iii) your violation of any third party right, including without limitation any right of privacy or intellectual privacy rights;   (iv) your violation of  any applicable law, rule, or regulation; or  (v)  your willful misconduct.

NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY

SC First Steps does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, or disability in admission to or employment in its programs and activities.

LAWS

These Terms of Use have been made in and shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of South Carolina. By using the Site, you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts in Richland County, SC, in all disputes arising out or relating to these Terms of Use or the Site.

ENTIRE AGREEMENT

Except as stated in the next sentence, these Terms of Use constitute the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.    No waiver by either party of any breach or default hereunder is a waiver of any preceding or subsequent breach or default.   If any provision of this Agreement is determined to be invalid or unenforceable, then all other provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.  If any provision of this Agreement is determined to be invalid or unenforceable, then the court shall enforce this Agreement to the maximum extent allowed by law or equity

QUESTIONS

Please send questions or comments about the SC First Steps website to communications@scfirststeps.org.