Data Protection Statement

KidsLife is committed to the accurate and punctual payment of family benefit to member families. Our ambition is to become an effective partner in Flemish family policy by providing optimum support and information to existing and future families. We do this by proactively examining all available data to determine entitlement to a variety of allowances, using our excellent collaboration with other family policy stakeholders and providing streamlined online services and friendly face-to-face contact. 

We process your data with these objectives firmly in mind. We ensure that we always process the minimum amount of data necessary and that we never keep it longer than necessary. 

Our data protection statement specifies the type of data that we process, how and why we process it, and what your rights are in relation to your personal data. 


What data do we store on you?

Below is a list of the data that we store. 

  • Identification data: for example, in many cases we store your name and date of birth for identification purposes, and your correspondence address or, within the legally permitted exceptions, your national register number for communicating with the Social Security Office. 

  • Contact data: where necessary, we use mobile phone numbers or email addresses to contact the persons involved. 

  • Family data: we store your family composition in order to perform an accurate calculation of your growth package/child benefit or starting amount/maternity allowance entitlement and the correct supplementary allowances. 

  • Personal attributes and behavioural data: We keep track of your language preferences in order to provide optimal assistance. 

  • Education and professional data: It is essential that we have access to your employment status and salary data. This enables us to accurately calculate and pay the correct allowances in the event that your salary falls below certain thresholds or you are ill for a long period of time. 

  • Financial data: we require your bank account number in order to make the correct payments. 

  • Medical and psychosocial data: in the context of paying the correct supplementary allowances, it is essential that we know if one of your children has a medical condition. 

  • Judicial data: we process judicial data in extremely limited circumstances, for example in the event that you foster or adopt a child. 


How do we collect your data?

We collect your data in various ways.

 
You supply us with your data yourself: 

You supply us with your data whilst using our website or services. It goes without saying that you supply us with certain data when completing a contact or membership form via our website. We also receive your data via the use of our site, by means of cookies. For more information, see our cookie policy.  

The government supplies us with your data: 

KidsLife is a payment provider that performs statutory tasks. We receive a variety of data from the government in that context, which is essential for carrying out those statutory tasks. Just like the data that we receive directly from you, this data also benefits from rigorous and robust protection, incorporating all the necessary safeguards to ensure that it is stored, processed and, where necessary, deleted in a secure manner. 

Third-party data: 

KidsLife occasionally receives data from third parties. Here, too, a number of conditions apply. This invariably concerns data that is supplied by a trusted third party. Thus it concerns data that has been lawfully collected and shared with us. 


Why do we use your data?

KidsLife only processes the personal data necessary for fulfilling certain purposes. First and foremost, we use your data to provide you with our services. For example, we use your financial data in order to make payments to the correct bank account number, or your family and/or medical and psychosocial data to ensure that you receive the social and/or care allowances to which you are entitled. 

Finally, we also use your data to keep you informed about our services. If you do not wish to be kept informed, you can withdraw your consent at any time. 


Who do we pass your personal data on to?

We only share your data when necessary, in the context of our services or when we are legally obliged to do so. This is the case for postal delivery companies, for example. In order for our information to be delivered to your home in the form of a letter, they must know who the letter recipient is. Financial institutions are another example. The bank details of the child benefit beneficiary must be verified to ensure that we make payments to the correct bank account.  

We only share your data when we are legally obliged to do so (for example to Kind en Gezin in connection with the transfer of a birth payment) or when this is necessary in the context of our services.  

In order to make the correct Growth Package/Child Benefit payments, KidsLife must, in a number of instances, exchange data with public institutions, such as the Flemish Child and Family Agency, the Flemish Ministry of Education, the Flemish Agency for People with a Disability (VAPH), etc., or even with another payment provider. 

We must also occasionally transfer certain data in the context of a legal proceeding before a tribunal and/or court.


How long do we store your data?

We never store your data for longer than is necessary. If there is no reason for retaining your data, we simply delete it. However, for certain data, KidsLife must adhere to the legal retention periods. 

You can also take the initiative to delete your data (or have it deleted) at any time. You can read more about how to do this on this page. 


How do we protect your data?

We adopt numerous technical and organisational measures to guarantee the availability, integrity and protection of your personal data. Our technical measures include network security, system security, firewalls, encryption and access control. Organisational measures include ensuring physical access restrictions, identity checks, raising employee awareness, data breach procedures and the meticulous monitoring of everything that occurs with your data.


What are your rights and how can you exercise them?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) furnishes you with a number of rights for protecting your personal data at all times. If you wish to exercise these rights, then please contact the KidsLife Data Protection Officer (DPO). You can do this by sending a letter to DPO KidsLife, Sint-Clarastraat 48 bis, 8000 Bruges, or by electronic means to DPO@KidsLife.be. Please make sure that your request clearly states who you are (surname, first name and telephone number if possible), which right you wish to exercise and, where possible/applicable, which personal data is involved.

Right of inspection 

You have the right to know whether or not KidsLife is processing your data. If we process your data, you have the right to know which data we collect, what we do with it, who we pass it on to and for how long we retain it, etc. You also have the right to a free copy of the personal data in question. 

Right to correction 

Do you believe that your data is incorrect or incomplete? No problem! You have the right to correct incorrect data or supplement incomplete data. In the event that KidsLife has passed this data on to third parties, then we will take the necessary steps to correct this data too. 

Right to erasure 

In some cases, you have the right to have your data deleted. Please note that this does not apply to all data. This does not include data that is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation, for example. 

Right to restriction of processing 

In certain circumstances, you can request the ‘restriction’ of data processing. This means that, while we still possess your data, it is ‘frozen.’ In other words, we may no longer do anything with it. You can request such a restriction of data processing if you dispute the correctness of your personal data, believe that the processing of your data is unlawful (although you can also request the erasure of your data here). 

Right to object  

You can object to the processing of personal data, but only when your data is being processed in the legitimate interest of KidsLife or in fulfilment of a task of public interest or public authority. In all other cases, you can exercise your right to consult, correct and delete data, etc. 

Right to lodge a complaint. 

If you believe that the processing of your personal data by KidsLife does not comply with the principles defined in the GDPR, then please contact the KidsLife DPO or the supervisory authority. The procedure and conditions pertaining to this are available on the website of the Data Protection Authority


The KidsLife website also contains hyperlinks to other websites. Our data protection statement applies exclusively to our own website. Activation of these hyperlinks is the responsibility of the user. If you click on one of these links, you should also read both their data protection statement and cookie policy.  

KidsLife regularly evaluates its privacy policy and revises it where necessary. This data protection statement was last updated on 20/08/2019