Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of CrecheHQ's childcare management software platform ("Service"). By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy.

You represent that you are at least 18 years old and have the legal authority to enter into this agreement. If you are using the Service on behalf of an organisation, you represent that you have authority to bind that organisation to these Terms.

2. Service Description

CrecheHQ provides a cloud-based childcare management platform designed for Irish childcare providers. Our Service includes:

• Child and family registration management
• Attendance tracking and reporting
• ECCE and NCS scheme administration
• Invoicing and payment processing
• Staff management and scheduling
• Parent communication tools
• Compliance and reporting features

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of the Service at any time with reasonable notice.

3. User Accounts

3.1 Account Registration

To use the Service, you must create an account by providing accurate, complete, and current information. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account.

3.2 Account Security

You must immediately notify us at support@crechehq.ie of any unauthorised use of your account or any other security breach. We are not liable for any loss arising from unauthorised use of your account.

3.3 Account Types

Different user roles (Owner, Admin, Staff) have different permissions within the Service. Account owners are responsible for managing user access and permissions for their organisation.

4. Acceptable Use

You agree to use the Service only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You agree NOT to:

• Use the Service for any illegal purpose or in violation of any laws
• Violate the privacy or rights of children, families, or staff
• Upload or transmit malicious code, viruses, or harmful content
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Service or related systems
• Interfere with or disrupt the Service or its infrastructure
• Use the Service to send spam or unsolicited communications
• Scrape, copy, or collect data from the Service without permission
• Resell, sublicense, or transfer your access to the Service

5. Chat & Messaging

5.1 Team Chat Feature

The Service includes a team chat feature for communication between staff members within your organisation. Chat is provided for professional childcare-related communications only.

5.2 Acceptable Use of Chat

When using the chat feature, you agree NOT to send messages or attachments that:

• Contain profanity, harassment, bullying, threats, or discriminatory language
• Share personal data inappropriately (home addresses, PPS numbers, medical details, financial information) in group channels
• Include content that is sexually explicit, violent, or otherwise inappropriate for a professional childcare setting
• Violate the Children First Act 2015 or your organisation's Child Safeguarding Statement

5.3 Content Moderation

Chat messages are subject to automated content moderation, including:

• Keyword filtering:Messages containing blocked keywords (configured by your organisation's administrators) will be prevented from sending.
• AI-assisted review (optional):If your organisation enables AI moderation in Settings, messages may be analysed by AI systems to detect content that may be inappropriate, constitute harassment, contain personal data, or raise safeguarding concerns. Only message text is analysed — no names or personal identifiers are sent. Flagged messages are reviewed by your organisation's administrators.

Message delivery is never delayed by AI moderation — messages are delivered immediately and reviewed asynchronously. AI moderation can be enabled or disabled at any time in your organisation's settings.

5.4 Safeguarding

In accordance with the Children First Act 2015 and Tusla's Online Safety Addendum (2019), messages identified as potential safeguarding concerns are automatically flagged for review by your organisation's designated liaison person. All staff using the chat feature remain subject to their obligations as mandated persons under the Act.

5.5 Storage & Retention

Each organisation is allocated a fair-use storage quota for chat attachments and documents (starting at 500 MB, scaling with the number of enrolled children). Chat messages and attachments are retained for the duration of your subscription. Attachments on deleted messages are permanently removed after 30 days. Upon account termination, all chat data is deleted without undue delay, subject to statutory retention obligations.

5.6 Reporting

Staff members may report messages they believe violate these terms. Reports are reviewed by your organisation's Owner or Admin users, who may dismiss, warn the sender, delete the message, or suspend the sender's chat access.

6. Payment Terms

5.1 Subscription Fees

The Service is provided on a subscription basis. Current pricing is available on our Pricing page. Fees are charged monthly or annually, depending on your chosen billing cycle.

5.2 Payment Processing

Payments are processed through Stripe. By providing payment information, you authorise us to charge your payment method for all fees due. You are responsible for keeping your payment information current.

5.3 Platform Fees

A platform fee of 2% applies to payments collected through the Service. This fee covers payment processing infrastructure and is in addition to the subscription fee.

5.4 Refunds

Subscription fees are non-refundable except where required by law. If you cancel your subscription, you will continue to have access until the end of your current billing period.

5.5 Price Changes

We may change our pricing with at least 30 days' notice. Price changes will take effect at the start of your next billing cycle following the notice period.

7. Intellectual Property

6.1 Our Rights

The Service and its original content, features, and functionality are owned by CrecheHQ and are protected by international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

6.2 Your Content

You retain ownership of all data and content you submit to the Service ("Your Content"). By using the Service, you grant us a limited license to use, store, and process Your Content solely to provide the Service to you.

6.3 Feedback

If you provide feedback, suggestions, or ideas about the Service, you grant us the right to use this feedback without restriction or compensation.

8. Data Protection

Our processing of personal data is governed by our Privacy Policy. By using the Service, you acknowledge that:

• You are the Data Controller for personal data you process through the Service
• CrecheHQ acts as a Data Processor on your behalf
• You are responsible for obtaining appropriate consents from parents/guardians
• You must comply with GDPR and Irish data protection law
• You must have appropriate data processing agreements in place

9. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW:

• The Service is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind
• We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure
• We are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages
• Our total liability shall not exceed the fees paid by you in the 12 months preceding the claim

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded by law, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or fraud.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless CrecheHQ, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from:

• Your use of the Service
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any third-party rights
• Your Content

11. Termination

10.1 Termination by You

You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings or by contacting us. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period.

10.2 Termination by Us

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service immediately if you:

• Violate these Terms
• Fail to pay fees when due
• Engage in fraudulent or illegal activity
• Pose a security risk to the Service or other users

10.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately. You may request export of Your Content within 30 days of termination. After the export window, Your Content will be deleted without undue delay, subject to statutory retention obligations (e.g., financial records retained per Irish Revenue requirements).

12. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Ireland. Any disputes arising from these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Irish courts.

If you are a consumer in the European Union, you may also have rights under the laws of your country of residence, and nothing in these Terms affects those rights.

13. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by email or through a notice on our website at least 30 days before changes take effect.

Your continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree to the changes, you must stop using the Service.

14. General Provisions

• Entire Agreement: These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and CrecheHQ
• Severability: If any provision is found invalid, the remaining provisions remain in effect
• Waiver: Failure to enforce any right does not constitute a waiver of that right
• Assignment: You may not assign these Terms without our consent; we may assign them freely
• Force Majeure: We are not liable for failures caused by circumstances beyond our reasonable control

15. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us: