Privacy Policy

Apex Social Group is a dba of A.P.EX. American Professional Exchange, LLC. (“Apex Social Group” or “we” or “us”). Apex Social Group uses the Internet to educate users (“you”), including families, Caregivers or Au Pairs, and prospective Caregivers or Au Pairs and families, about the programs it offers. We also allow families, care professionals, and Au Pairs to apply for these programs, and we solicit business from these families. Any information you share online, by phone, or by mail is protected in accordance with Federal and State laws and the policies detailed below.

Apex Social Group is committed to your personal privacy. This policy describes how your information is collected and used. This policy is effective December 31, 2009. In the event Apex Social Group modifies this policy, the new version will be posted here with its new effective date. This page was updated last on October 16, 2022.

Consent

By using Apex Social Group’s website, you acknowledge and agree to our Privacy Policy below as well as our Terms of Use.

Information Collected

We collect personal, employment, legal, and financial information (collectively “information”) for several purposes:

1. a) to comply with federal visa and exchange visitor laws and procedures, specifically Federal Law 22 CFR 62;
2. b) to ensure a comfortable, safe, and legal match between our Care Professionals, Au Pairs and Host Families; and
3. c) to monitor and assess our own marketing effectiveness.

All information is retained for at least three years, but not more than five years. Original documents submitted cannot be returned.

We collect information through various means including email, fax, telephone, and mail. We also engage third parties such as law enforcement agencies, employers, and credit reporting agencies to verify and expand information. Among the types of information we collect are

1. a) Detailed information about prospective Care Professionals, Au Pairs, including but not limited to full name; date of birth; citizenship, passport, and legal status information; address; email address; telephone number; academic history; disciplinary records, including law enforcement records; employment history; and medical history.
2. b) Results of psychometric testing on prospective Au Pairs.
3. c) Results of prospective Care Professional Au Pairs’ English proficiency as assessed by our representative.
4. d) Emergency contact information for prospective Au Pairs and prospective Host Families, including full name, address, email address, and telephone numbers.
5. e) Detailed information about prospective Host Families, including but not limited to full names and dates of birth of all involved family members; citizenship and residence information of parents; family’s address and contact information; parents’ employment and earnings history; data about parents’ current employment and/or assets. In addition, we retain information about any special needs declared by the Host Family and the results of our assessment of the suitability of the family/home for accommodating an Au Pair.
6. f) Information about prospective Care Professionals, Au Pairs and Host Families, solicited and collected from personal and employment references.
7. g) Copies of all information and documents supplied by applicants, including but not limited to academic records such as diplomas and transcripts.

Cookies, Web beacons, and other internet tracking applications

When you visit Apex-Social.com, our server automatically collects certain general, non-personal information. This helps us measure use of our site’s content, diagnose problems with our server, and effectively administer our website.

Our web server does not collect information that identifies individuals. It recognizes only your IP address, manufacturer of your browser, time of access, which files you request and view, and referring URL. Unless and until you volunteer personal information to us directly via our online contact form, email, fax, phone, or postal mail, we do not track or otherwise monitor individuals who use our site. We also do not track your use of other websites.

Electronic and physical record security

Information that is collected electronically from users via Apex-Social.com (i.e., that submitted in our email contact form) is transmitted to Apex Social Group’s database. This database is password-protected, and it is only accessible to employees who are fully trained in its proper use.

Paper records, including those received by mail and fax, and email exchanges are accessible only to Apex Social Group’s employees and representatives.

INFORMATION NOT RETAINED

Unless submitted directly by mail or telephone or online form, Apex Social Group does not keep your credit card information on record.

Sharing of information

If you wish to use our service, you may not opt out of sharing information that is required for compliance with State Department regulations (Federal Law 22 CFR 62).

In some specific and limited circumstances, Apex Social Group will release information to a third party. These include

1. a) Releasing information about prospective Care Professionals, Au Pairs and prospective Host Families to our Overseas Representatives, Local Area Coordinators, and Regional Representatives in order to facilitate a match.
2. b) Reporting to the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) as required by law. Items we report include, but are not limited to, personal information; domestic arrival information; whether orientation was attended; whether placement with Host Family occurred; termination of employment contracts; and violations of J-1 status.
3. c) Reporting to the Department of State as required by law. We report some items immediately, including crimes of moral turpitude. In addition, we submit an annual report that includes summaries of Au Pair and Host Family Year End Surveys; Complaint Summary Form; summaries of incidents resulting in transfer; and a current complete listing of Au Pairs, Host Families and their addresses, and local and regional representatives.
4. d) Responding to a lawfully issued subpoena or judicial order. We may also voluntarily disclose such information to authorities if we reasonably believe the release will be necessary to comply with law.
5. e) Releasing an Au Pair’s medical records, provided such release is legally compliant, to a medical professional for the purpose of securing treatment.
6. f) Releasing information to third-party credit card agencies, who will use your name and billing address to accept credit card payments on our behalf.
7. g) Releasing non-personally identifiable information the third party consultants who monitor and assess our marketing efforts.

Marketing practices and privacy

We respect the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. We do not knowingly market to or solicit information from children under 13. Marketing is targeted to adult members of a Host Family. We do collect information about a Host Family’s children; however, this information is used for the purpose of making an appropriate Host Family/Care Professional/Au Pair match. It is never used to market to children.

Eighteen (18) years is the minimum age to participate in our programs as an Au Pair or Care Professional.

Marketing Opt-Out

When you give us your information, we may respond via phone, email, or postal mail in order to give you more information on programs that interest you. Occasionally, we buy lists of names and contact information, or we assemble contact lists by compiling public information including that which is posted on the Internet. We may use these lists in our marketing and contact efforts.

If you are on such a list and would like to opt out, please inform us of your decision by emailing a message to info@Apex-Social.com or mailing a letter to

Apex-Social Group
555 N. El Camino Real Suite A-435
San Clemente, CA 92672, USA

Other

We sometimes include links to outside websites to provide you with additional information about related agencies, laws, and services. We are not responsible for the privacy or security of any third-party site. We do not make any claims about the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of any other site’s information. If you are prompted to provide user information to another site, we encourage you to read that site’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy before continuing.

Apex Social Group does not use adware, malicious or intrusive programming, or “pop-ups.” If evidence of such programming occurs while you are visiting our site, scan your computer for problems. If the problem only occurs during your use of Apex-Social.com, please contact us at info@Apex-Social.com to report the issue so that we may correct any problems that may have been caused by an unauthorized outside programmer.

Contact

To make corrections or additions to your information on record, or if you have any questions about our Privacy Policy, please contact us:

Privacy Officer 
Apex Social Group
555 N. El Camino Real Suite A-435
San Clemente, CA 92672, USA
info@apex-social.com
844-787-6566