Policies and Disclaimers
Accessibility Policy
Accessibility & Reasonable Accommodations
The NYS Council on Children and Families (CCF) strives to provide access to all web site content, services, and transactions to all persons to the greatest extent possible. Careful consideration of accessibility has been applied during the design, posting, and maintenance of all web content.
If you have any questions or concerns about the accessibility of our website, please contact CFF at accessibility@ccf.ny.gov (email) or (518) 473-3652 (telephone).
Information about reasonable accommodations and equal opportunity and diversity development, please go visit the link below.
Language Translations
Translate page: بى (Arabic), বাঙালি (Bengali), 中文 (Chinese), Kreyòl ayisyen (Haitian-Creole), Italiano (Italian), 한국어 (Korean), Polski (Polish), Русскийy (Russian), Español (Spanish), יידיש (Yiddish)
If you are using a desktop or laptop and would like to translate website content into a different language, please access your browser’s settings. Directions on how to change your preferred language using the four main browsers can be found here,
Terms and Conditions
Privacy
Introduction
CCF recognizes that visitors to our website are concerned about their privacy. CCF, as described herein, is committed to maintaining your privacy and adheres to the provisions of the New York State Internet Security and Privacy Act, the Freedom of Information Law and the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
For purposes of this policy, “personal information” means any information concerning a natural person which, because of name, number, symbol, mark or other identifier, can be used to identify that natural person. The Council on Children and Families does not collect any personal information about you unless you provide that information voluntarily by sending an e-mail, responding to a survey, or completing an on-line transaction.
Information Collected Automatically When You Visit This Website
When visiting this website CCF automatically collects and stores the following information about your visit:
- The Internet Protocol Address and domain name used, but not the e-mail address. The Internet Protocol Address is a numerical identifier assigned either to your Internet service provider or directly to your computer;
- The type of browser and operating system you used;
- The date and time you visited this site;
- The web pages or services you accessed at this site;
- The web site you visited prior to coming to this web site;
- The web site you visit as you leave this web site; and
- If you downloaded a form, the form that was downloaded.
None of the foregoing information is deemed to constitute personal information.
The information that is collected automatically is used to improve this website’s content and system performance. The information is not collected for commercial marketing purposes and CCF is not authorized to sell or otherwise disclose the information collected from the website for commercial marketing purposes. The information is retained in accordance with the public retention provisions of the New York State Arts and Cultural Affairs Law.
Other websites operate under the auspices and at the direction of their respective owners. Once you link to another website, you are subject to the terms and conditions of that website, including, but not limited to, its privacy policy. Therefore, if you have a question or comment about any of these sites, please contact that particular site owner directly.
Information Collected When You E-mail this Website
During your visit to this website you may send an e-mail to CCF. Your e-mail address and the contents of your message will be collected. Your e-mail address and the information included in your message will be used to respond to you, to address issues you identify, to improve this website, or to forward your message to another State agency for appropriate action. Your e-mail address is not collected for commercial purposes and CCF is not authorized to sell or otherwise disclose your e-mail address for commercial purposes.
CCF does not knowingly collect personal information from children or create profiles of children through this website.
Information and Choice
As noted above, CCF does not collect any personal information about you through this website unless you provide that information voluntarily by sending an e-mail, responding to a survey, or completing an on-line form. You may choose not to send us an e-mail, respond to a survey, or complete an on-line form, and always have the option to respond through use of regular mail. While your choice not to participate in these activities may limit your ability to receive specific services or products through this website, it will not normally have an impact on your ability to take advantage of other features of the website, including browsing or downloading most publicly available information.
Confidentiality and Integrity of Personal Information Collected Through this Website
CCF is strongly committed to protecting personal information collected through this website against unauthorized access, use or disclosure. Consequently, CCF limits employee access to personal information collected through this website to only those employees who need access to the information in the performance of their official duties. Employees who have access to this information follow appropriate procedures in connection with any disclosures of personal information.
In addition, CCF has implemented procedures to safeguard the integrity of its information technology assets. These security procedures have been integrated into the design, implementation and day-to-day operations of this website as part of CCF’s continuing commitment to the security of electronic content as well as the electronic transmission of information.
For website security purposes and to maintain the availability of this website for all users, CCF uses software to monitor traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise damage this website.
CCF does not knowingly collect personal information from children or create profiles of children through this website.
Disclaimer
The information provided in this privacy policy should not be construed as giving business, legal, or other advice, or warranting as fail proof, the security of information provided through this website. Please see CCF’s Website Disclaimer for further information.
In addition, CCF has implemented procedures to safeguard the integrity of its information technology assets. These security procedures have been integrated into the design, implementation and day-to-day operations of this website as part of CCF’s continuing commitment to the security of electronic content as well as the electronic transmission of information.
For website security purposes and to maintain the availability of this website for all users, CCF uses software to monitor traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise damage this website.
CCF does not knowingly collect personal information from children or create profiles of children through this website.
Links Disclaimer
CCF provides links to websites of local, state and federal government agencies and other organizations. When you click on these external links, you will leave the CCF website. A link does not constitute an endorsement of the content, viewpoint, accuracy, opinions, policies, products, services or accessibility of that website.
Other websites operate under the auspices and at the direction of their respective owners. Once you link to another website, you are subject to the terms and conditions of that website, including, but not limited to, its privacy policy. Therefore, if you have a question or comment about any of these sites, please contact that particular site owner directly.
Cookies
Cookies are simple text files stored on your web browser to provide a means of distinguishing among users of this website. The use of cookies is a standard practice among Internet websites. In order to better serve you, we may use “temporary” cookies to enhance, customize or enable your visit to this web site. Temporary cookies do not contain personal information and do not compromise your privacy or security and are erased during the operation of your browser or when your browser is closed.
During your visit to this website, you may complete a registration form in order to personalize your use of the website. In such an event, we may deliver a “persistent” cookie which would be stored on your computer’s hard drive. This persistent cookie will allow the website to recognize you when you visit again and tailor the information presented to you based on your needs and interests. CCF uses persistent cookies only with your permission.
The software you use to access the website allows you to refuse new cookies or delete existing cookies. Refusing or deleting these cookies may limit your ability to take advantage of some of the features of this website.
Special Note Regarding Children
Consistent with the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), CCF does not knowingly collect personal information from children (persons under the age of 13) or create profiles of children through this website. Users are cautioned, however, that the collection of personal information submitted in an e-mail will be treated as though it was submitted by an adult, and may, unless exempted from access by federal or state law, be subject to public access. CCF strongly encourages parents, guardians and teachers to be involved in children’s Internet activities and to provide guidance whenever children are asked to provide personal information on-line.
During your visit to this website, you may complete a registration form in order to personalize your use of the website. In such an event, we may deliver a “persistent” cookie which would be stored on your computer’s hard drive. This persistent cookie will allow the website to recognize you when you visit again and tailor the information presented to you based on your needs and interests. CCF uses persistent cookies only with your permission.
The software you use to access the website allows you to refuse new cookies or delete existing cookies. Refusing or deleting these cookies may limit your ability to take advantage of some of the features of this website.
Disclosure of Information Collected Through This Website
The collection of information through this website and the disclosure of that information are subject to the provisions of the Internet Security and Privacy Act. CCF will only collect personal information through this website or disclose personal information collected through this website if the user has consented to the collection or disclosure of such personal information.
However, CCF may collect or disclose personal information without consent if the collection or disclosure is: (1) necessary to perform the statutory duties of CCF s or necessary for CCF to operate a program authorized by law or authorized by state or federal statute or regulation; (2) made pursuant to a court order or by law; (3) to validate the identity of the user; or (4) solely for statistical purposes that is in a form that cannot be used to identify any particular person.
Further, the disclosure of information, including personal information, collected through this website is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Law and the Personal Privacy Protection Law.
CCF may disclose personal information to federal or state law enforcement authorities to enforce its rights against unauthorized access or attempted unauthorized access to CCF’s information technology assets.
During your visit to this website, you may complete a registration form in order to personalize your use of the website. In such an event, we may deliver a “persistent” cookie which would be stored on your computer’s hard drive. This persistent cookie will allow the website to recognize you when you visit again and tailor the information presented to you based on your needs and interests. CCF uses persistent cookies only with your permission.
The software you use to access the website allows you to refuse new cookies or delete existing cookies. Refusing or deleting these cookies may limit your ability to take advantage of some of the features of this website.
Contact Information
For questions regarding CCF’s Privacy Policy, please contact:
Records Access Officer
NYS Council on Children and Families
52 Washington Street, Room 256 West
Rensselaer, NY 12144
e-mail:
council@ccf.ny.gov
Telephone:
518-473-3652
Disclaimer
General Disclaimer
CCF makes every effort to post accurate and reliable information; however it does not guarantee or warrant that the information on this website is complete, accurate or up-to-date. All information is subject to change at any time without notice. (Notification of incomplete, inaccurate, or out of date information is appreciated.) Any use of this site is deemed to constitute acceptance of all terms and conditions set forth herein. CCF shall not be liable for any special, indirect or consequential damages or other damages arising out of, resulting from or in connection with the use, application or performance of information or documents available from this site.
CCF’s website links to websites maintained by other entities. While reasonable precautions are taken to link only to web sites that are appropriate, accurate and maintained by reputable organizations, these web pages are not under the CCF’s control. Accordingly, CCF is not responsible for the information or opinions expressed in these linked sites.
Reproduction
Unless otherwise noted on an individual document, file, web page or other item, CCF grants users permission to reproduce and distribute information available on this website for non-commercial purposes and use, so long as: the contents remain unaltered; CCF is noted as the source; the publication date of the material cited is noted along with the date CCF’s website was accessed; and all copyright and other proprietary notices are retained in the same form and manner as on the original document. CCF may, on a case-by-case basis, grant permission for individuals and organizations from other states to alter the documents for use in their state. The user agrees to abide by all additional restrictions provided on this site as it may be updated from time to time.
Questions/Requests
For questions or requests to reproduce materials, please contact council@ccf.ny.gov.
FOIL
Overview
The New York State Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), Article 6 (sections 84-90), of the New York State Public Officers Law, provides the public a right to access records maintained by government agencies, with certain exceptions. As defined in the New York State Public Officers Law section 86, “record” means “any information kept, held, filed, produced or reproduced by, with, or for this agency, in any form whatsoever including, but not limited to, reports, statements, examinations, memoranda, opinions, folders, files, books, manuals, pamphlets, forms, papers, designs, drawings, maps, photos, letters, microfilms, computer tapes or disks, rules, regulations, or codes.”
FOIL Process
Within five business days of the receipt of a written request for a record reasonably described, we will send you a letter that make such record available, denies such request in writing, or furnishes a written acknowledgment of the receipt of such request. If you have not received a letter within five business days, please contact us at (518) 473-3652 or foil@ccf.ny.gov.
An acknowledgment letter will provide you with an estimate of when the record(s) you request will be available, which shall be reasonable under the circumstances of the request. This date is determined by the number of documents you request, their format, their availability, the time it takes to redact any information that cannot be disclosed pursuant to FOIL, the time it takes to assemble the documents, and other factors.
If the record(s) you request require a fee to be paid, you will be notified prior to the records being released to you. Unless a different fee is otherwise prescribed by statute, New York State Public Officers Law section 87(1) authorizes an agency to charge a fee of either 25 cents per page for photocopying of records up to 9 x 14 inches or the actual cost of reproducing a record. The actual cost of producing a record may include:
*an amount equal to the hourly salary attributed to the lowest paid CCF employee who has the necessary skills to prepare the requested record(s), if at least two hours of employee time is needed to prepare a copy of the record(s) requested;
*the actual cost of the storage devices or media provided to the person making the request in complying with such request; and
*the actual cost to CCF of engaging an outside professional service to prepare a copy of a record, but only when CCF information technology equipment is inadequate to prepare a copy.
Once the requested record(s) are prepared, you may receive the record(s) via email, fax, paper, CD/DVD, or USB. Records also are available for inspection, by appointment, on business days between 8:30 am and 5 pm. You may schedule an appointment for in-person inspection of records by calling (518) 473-3652.
If you have additional questions, please contact:
CCF FOIL Officer
NYS Council on Children and Families
52 Washington Street. West Building, Suite 99
Rensselaer, NY 12144
Email: foil@ccf.ny.gov
Telephone: (518) 473-3652
Fax: (518) 473-2570
Request Records
Use the Open FOIL NY online form
Mail a written request to:
Records Access OfficerNYS Council on Children and Families
52 Washington Street. West Building, Suite 99
Rensselaer, NY 12144
E-mail a written request to: foil@ccf.ny.gov.
Fax a written request to: (518) 473-2570.
Subject Matter List
In accordance with Section 87(3)(c) of the Public Officers Law, below is a list of records maintained by CCF’s (December 2024).
* Agency reports, publications, research briefs and brochures
* Contracts and memoranda of understanding and related correspondence
* Early Childhood Advisory Council meeting and membership records
* Freedom of information law request records
* Grant award records and related documents
* Interagency Resolution Unit (confidential – not available for public inspection)
* Head Start Collaboration Project records
* Kids’ Well-being Indicators Clearinghouse (web-based interactive data)
* NYS Touchstones/KIDS Count data books
Human resource and financial records are maintained by CCF’s host agency, the Office of Children and Family Services.
Right to Appeal
If your FOIL request is denied, you will be notified in writing and you will have 30 days from the date of such written determination to submit an appeal. Your appeal must be in writing and faxed or mailed to:
Records Access Appeals OfficerNYS Council on Children and Families
52 Washington Street. West Building, Suite 99
Rensselaer, NY 12144
Helpful Tips
For more information about FOIL, please visit the New York State Committee on Open Government’s website. “Your Right to Know: New York’s Open Government Laws.”
When submitting a FOIL request, please be as specific as possible in describing the requested record(s) and include your e-mail and mailing address, as well as telephone number where you can be reached during regular business hours in case clarification of your request is needed.
Please note that a new record is not required to be created in response to FOIL requests.
