Privacy Policy

Effective Date: August 2026

1. Purpose and Scope 

Little Steps Developmental Services Inc. (“Little Steps,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects the privacy of individuals who communicate with us through Short Message Service (“SMS” or “text messaging”). 

This SMS Privacy Policy explains how Little Steps collects, uses, protects, retains, and shares information associated with our SMS communications. 

Little Steps uses SMS for low-volume, one-to-one conversational business communication between individual Little Steps employees and persons with whom Little Steps has an appropriate business, service, employment, referral, or other organizational relationship. 

Recipients may include: 

• Clients and participants; 

• Parents, guardians, and other authorized representatives; 

• Prospective clients and families; 

• Employees and workforce members; 

• Applicants and prospective employees; 

• Case managers, referral sources, and service coordinators; 

• Vendors and professional contacts; and 

• Other individuals who appropriately communicate with Little Steps by SMS. 

Little Steps does not use its Microsoft Teams SMS program for bulk marketing, mass advertising, automated promotional campaigns, purchased contact lists, or unsolicited promotional messaging. 

2. Information We May Collect 

When you use SMS to communicate with Little Steps, we may collect or maintain information including: 

• Your name; 

• Your mobile telephone number; 

• Your relationship to Little Steps; 

• The content of SMS messages sent to or received from you; 

• SMS enrollment and consent information; 

• START, STOP, HELP, and other SMS responses or communication preferences; 

• Dates and times associated with SMS communications; 

• The Little Steps employee or business number involved in the conversation; 

• Information you voluntarily provide during the SMS conversation; and 

• Electronic records associated with the SMS conversation and its delivery. 

3. How We Use SMS Information 

Little Steps may use SMS-related information to: 

• Conduct referral and intake communication; 

• Coordinate appointments and schedules; 

• Coordinate services; 

• Respond to questions and requests; 

• Provide administrative information; 

• Follow up regarding services or other business matters; 

• Communicate with clients, parents, guardians, or authorized representatives; 

• Communicate with employees or applicants; 

• Communicate with case managers, referral sources, and other professional contacts; 

• Provide assistance related to SMS communication; 

• Document SMS consent and communication preferences; 

• Maintain appropriate organizational records; 

• Protect the security and integrity of Little Steps’ communications systems; and 

• Comply with applicable legal, regulatory, contractual, operational, or recordkeeping requirements. 

SMS communication is intended for appropriate one-to-one conversational business communication. 

4. SMS Enrollment and Consent 

Participation in SMS communication with Little Steps is voluntary. 

When a person indicates through a telephone call or another non-SMS interaction that they would like to communicate with Little Steps by text, a Little Steps employee may ask for permission to send one SMS enrollment message. 

That initial enrollment message provides information regarding Little Steps’ SMS program and directs the recipient to review the applicable disclosures before agreeing to ongoing SMS communication. 

The enrollment message may include: 

• The identity of Little Steps and the employee communicating with you; 

• The types of SMS communications you may receive; 

• A disclosure that message frequency varies; 

• A disclosure that message and data rates may apply; 

• Instructions for obtaining assistance through HELP; 

• Instructions for opting out through STOP; 

• Information regarding Little Steps’ treatment of mobile opt-in information; 

• A link to this SMS Privacy Policy; 

• A link to the Little Steps SMS Terms & Conditions; and 

• Instructions to reply START if you agree to ongoing SMS communication. 

The initial enrollment message is intended to present the SMS terms in writing before ongoing SMS communication begins. 

Except where another approved consent process applies, Little Steps will not continue substantive SMS communication after sending the enrollment message unless the recipient replies: 

START 

A recipient’s START response constitutes affirmative electronic consent to ongoing SMS communication with Little Steps under the disclosed terms. 

Providing Little Steps with a mobile telephone number alone does not constitute consent to receive unsolicited ongoing SMS communications. 

5. Electronic Records of Consent 

Little Steps may use electronic records to document SMS consent and communication preferences. 

These records may include: 

• The initial SMS enrollment message; 

• The recipient’s START response; 

• SMS conversation history; 

• Automated system messages; 

• STOP or other opt-out requests; 

• Later START responses used to resume SMS communication; 

• Dates and timestamps; 

• Sending and receiving telephone numbers; and 

• Associated electronic communication-system records. 

These electronic records serve as Little Steps’ normal documentation of SMS consent when the approved SMS enrollment process is followed. 

Little Steps does not ordinarily require a separate manual SMS consent log when the approved electronic communication system adequately documents the consent process. 

6. Mobile Opt-In Information and Marketing 

Mobile opt-in information will not be shared with third parties for marketing purposes. 

Little Steps does not sell or rent mobile telephone numbers, SMS opt-in information, or SMS consent information for marketing or promotional purposes. 

Little Steps does not provide SMS opt-in information to third parties or affiliates for their independent marketing or promotional use. 

7. Service Providers and Other Permitted Disclosures 

Little Steps may use technology providers, telecommunications carriers, platform providers, and other vendors as reasonably necessary to transmit, receive, secure, maintain, retain, or support SMS communications and associated organizational records. 

Information may be made available to these providers only as reasonably necessary to provide or support the applicable service and not for their independent marketing use. 

Little Steps may also disclose information when reasonably necessary to: 

• Comply with applicable law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request; 

• Meet applicable regulatory or contractual obligations; 

• Protect the rights, safety, security, or property of Little Steps or others; 

• Investigate misuse, fraud, security incidents, or suspected violations; or 

• Fulfill another lawful organizational purpose. 

8. Message Frequency and Charges 

Message frequency varies depending on the nature of your relationship and conversation with Little Steps. 

Message and data rates may apply. 

Any charges associated with SMS are determined by your wireless carrier and mobile service plan. Little Steps does not control charges imposed by your wireless carrier. 

9. Opting Out 

You may withdraw your consent to SMS communication at any time. 

To stop receiving SMS messages from a Little Steps SMS-enabled number, reply: 

STOP 

You may also communicate another clear request that Little Steps stop texting you. 

Little Steps will honor clear opt-out requests. 

An opt-out applies to the applicable SMS conversation and Little Steps employee number. Little Steps personnel will not attempt to evade an opt-out by contacting you through another Little Steps SMS-enabled number without appropriate independent consent. 

After an opt-out has occurred, Little Steps will not continue SMS communication through that conversation unless you later re-enroll. 

To resume SMS communication after opting out, you may be required to reply: 

START 

Your new START response becomes part of the electronic record of your renewed SMS consent. 

10. Help and Support 

For assistance with Little Steps SMS communications, reply: 

HELP 

You may also contact Little Steps Developmental Services Inc. through the following methods: 

Little Steps Developmental Services Inc. 

1411 Falls Ave E, Suite 600 

Twin Falls, ID 83301 

Phone: (208) 266-7545 

Email: admin@littlestepsdev.org 

11. Sensitive Information and Security 

Little Steps uses reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures intended to protect information within its control. 

However, SMS messages may pass through telecommunications providers, mobile devices, and other systems outside Little Steps’ direct control. No electronic communication method can be guaranteed to be completely secure. 

Recipients and Little Steps personnel should avoid transmitting highly sensitive information through SMS when another appropriate communication method is available or required. 

Little Steps may redirect a conversation to another approved communication method when SMS is not appropriate for the information being discussed. 

SMS should not be used for emergencies or situations requiring immediate assistance. 

12. Communications Involving Minors 

Little Steps provides developmental services that may involve children and families. 

When SMS communications concern a minor client, Little Steps will handle those communications in accordance with applicable organizational policies, authorization requirements, privacy requirements, and the nature of the person’s relationship to the client. 

SMS enrollment does not independently create authority for a person to receive information that Little Steps would not otherwise be permitted to disclose to that person. 

13. Record Retention 

Little Steps may retain SMS communications, SMS consent records, opt-out and re-enrollment records, and associated electronic records in accordance with Little Steps’ applicable organizational record-retention policies. 

Electronic records may be preserved through Little Steps’ approved Microsoft 365 compliance and retention systems. 

Employees are not ordinarily required to maintain duplicate manual SMS consent records when the approved electronic communication system contains adequate documentation of the consent process. 

14. Other Privacy Policies 

This SMS Privacy Policy applies specifically to Little Steps’ SMS communications. 

It supplements, and does not replace, any broader Little Steps Privacy Policy or other privacy notices that may apply to information collected or maintained by Little Steps in other contexts. 

Where another privacy, confidentiality, legal, or regulatory requirement provides greater protection to information, Little Steps will follow the applicable requirement. 

15. Changes to this SMS Privacy Policy 

Little Steps may update this SMS Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our SMS practices, technology, organizational policies, or applicable requirements. 

The current version will be made publicly available on the Little Steps website and will identify its effective or last-updated date. 

Material changes to the SMS enrollment process will be reviewed for consistency with Little Steps’ Microsoft Teams SMS campaign and internal procedures before implementation. 

16. Contact Us 

Questions or concerns regarding this SMS Privacy Policy or Little Steps’ SMS practices may be directed to: 

Little Steps Developmental Services Inc. 

1411 Falls Ave E, Suite 600 

Twin Falls, ID 83301 

Phone: (208) 266-7545 

Email: admin@littlestepsdev.org