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http://www.hfs.illinois.gov/
Pursuant to the fundamental philosophy of the American constitutional
form of government, it is declared to be the public policy of the
state of Illinois that all persons are entitled to full and complete
information regarding the affairs of government and the official
acts and policies of those who represent them as public officials
and public employees. The access to this information is not intended
to be used to violate individual privacy, nor to further a commercial
enterprise, nor to disrupt the duly-undertaken work of any public
body independent of the fulfillment of any of the rights of the
people to have access to information.
Privacy Statement
The Department Web site is composed of public informational areas
and protected, private areas providing transactional assistance
and business services to clients and related service partners.
Information collected and received through the Illinois Department
of Healthcare and Family Services (Department) Web site may become public record and
therefore subject to disclosure under the Illinois
Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/1 et seq.). It is the
policy of the Department that no personal information you provide
to it, including, but not limited to, your name, address, telephone
number, drivers license number, Social Security Number and e-mail
address will be sold or rented to any entity or individual or disclosed
to any unauthorized entity or individual. No entity other
than the Department will collect information from the Department
Web site. The release of personal information by the Department
shall be limited, according to Illinois law, to the state of Illinois
government agencies and/or to authorized Department contractors
or grantees. If the Department transmits personal information
over the Internet, it will employ security measures, including,
but not limited to, encryption, to ensure the privacy of the data.
Personal Information and Choice
"Personal information" is information about an individual that
is readily identifiable to that specific individual. Personal information
includes personal identifiers such as an individual's name, address,
phone number, drivers license number and social security number.
A domain name or Internet Protocol address is not considered personal
information. The Department will collect no personal information
about you unless you voluntarily participate in an activity that
asks for information (e.g., sending an e-mail or participating in
a survey). If you choose not to participate in these activities,
your choice will in no way affect your ability to use any other
feature of the Department Web site. If personal information is requested
on the Web site or volunteered by the user, state law and the federal
Privacy Act of 1974 may protect it. However, this information is
a public record once you provide it, and may be subject to public
inspection and copying if not protected by federal or state law.
You will not be required to provide information unless:
- You choose to participate in an online survey, which may require
you to provide certain information; or
- You are inquiring about your services funded by the Department,
which will require you to provide information to obtain a digital
certificate; or
- At such time as the Department is able to provide such case
information online, you are inquiring about your child support
case, which will require you to provide information to obtain
a digital certificate.
Policies for Individuals Under 13 Years of Age
The Department is committed to complying fully with the Children's
Online Privacy Protection Act. Accordingly, if you are under the
age of 13, you are not authorized to provide the Department with
personally identifying information, and the Department will not
use any such information in its database or other data collection
activities. The Department appreciates your cooperation with this
federally mandated requirement. Users are cautioned that the collection
of personal information volunteered by children online or by e-mail
will be treated the same as information given by an adult and may
be subject to public access.
Web Logs
The Department analyzes its Web site logs to continually improve
the value of the materials available on its site and to improve
the secure exchange of information. The Department Web site logs
are not personally identifiable.
Information Retained and How it is Used
If, during your visit to the Department Web site, you just browse
or download information, the following information about your visit
will be retained:
- Your Internet Protocol address (not the e-mail address). Unique
IP addresses may be counted to determine the number of visitors
to each Web page during specific time frames. Analysis of the
number of visitors helps to determine how, where or if the page
will be delivered in the future.
- The type of Web browser used (Internet Explorer, Netscape, etc.).
Web pages do not always display the same on every type or version
of Web browser and thus must be coded for appropriate access.
In addition, within areas secured to protect information exchanged
with the Department over the Internet, information may be collected
which includes:
- The domain from which access is made to the Internet (for example,
aol.com, if you are connecting from an America Online account);
- The date and time access to the site is made;
- The pages, files, documents and links visited to improve functionality
and tailor the presentation to enhance usage;
- The Internet address of the Web site from which a link to the
Department Web site is made; and,
- The personal identity of the person conducting a secure transaction
with the Department.
The Department will collect information from the Web site only
for these purposes and for purposes related to the services the
Department is required by law to provide.
Correspondence
If during your visit to the Department Web site you participate
in a survey or send an e-mail, the following additional information
will be collected:
- E-mail correspondence: The e-mail address and contents of the
e-mail. The Department may use your e-mail to respond appropriately.
This may be to respond to you, to address issues you identify,
to further improve the Department Web site, or to forward the
e-mail to another agency for appropriate action.
- Surveys: Any information you volunteered in response to a survey.
Survey information is used for the purpose designated. The information
collected is not limited to text characters and may include audio,
video, and graphic information formats that you have provided.
Cookies
Within areas of the Department Web site, secured to protect information
exchanged with the Department over the Internet, cookies may be
used depending upon the type of business conducted. Cookies are
small pieces of information distributed to the browser by Web sites
visited. Cookies can be used to track usage patterns, traffic trends
and verify identity for the secure exchange of information. Cookies
may be used to store information, for example, to allow future use
without having to re-enter information or for verification of identity
to allow business to be conducted with a high level of security
and privacy, preventing information from being intercepted when
communicating with the Department Web site. Cookies collected will
not be used to create profiles of users or to track Internet usage
outside of the Department Web site.
The personal browser can be set to not accept cookies and access
to the Department Web site will not be denied if cookies are not
accepted. Access to certain secure information, however, may not
be allowed if cookies are rejected as this is integral to providing
secure connectivity and protecting the information you provide.
Link Disclaimer
The Department has links to other Web sites. These include links
to Web sites operated by other government agencies, nonprofit organizations
and private businesses. When you link to another site, you are no
longer on a site covered by this Privacy Notice. When you link to
another Web site, you are subject to the privacy policy of that
new site. Please see the information below for a complete list of
those URLs that are covered by this privacy policy.
Legal Notices Access to the Department Web site is provided subject
to the following terms and conditions. Please read these terms carefully
as use of these sites constitutes acceptance of all of the following
terms and conditions.
Disclaimer of Liability
Neither the state of Illinois, the Department, nor any state employee
shall be held liable for a Web site users improper or incorrect
use of the information described and/or contained herein and assumes
no responsibility for anyone's use of the information. In no event
shall the Department Web site or state employees be liable for any
direct, indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, or consequential
damages (including, but not limited to, procurement or substitute
goods or services; loss of use, data, or profits; or business interruption)
however caused and on any theory of liability, whether in contract,
strict liability, or tort (including negligence or otherwise) arising
in any way out of the use of this system, even if advised of the
possibility of such damage. This disclaimer of liability applies
to any damages or injury, including, but not limited to, those caused
by any failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, deletion,
defect, delay in operation or transmission, computer virus, communication
line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, alteration
of, or use of record, whether for breach of contract, tortious behavior,
negligence or under any other cause of action.
Disclaimer of Warranties and Accuracy of Data
Although the data found using the state of Illinois access systems
have been produced and processed from sources believed to be reliable,
no warranty, expressed or implied, is made regarding accuracy, adequacy,
completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information.
This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of the
information. The state provides this information on an "as is" basis.
All warranties of any kind, express or implied, including, but not
limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for
a particular purpose, freedom from contamination by computer viruses
and non-infringement of proprietary rights are disclaimed. Changes
may be periodically made to the information herein; these changes
may or may not be incorporated in any new version of the publication.
If you have obtained information from any of the state's Web pages
from a source other than the state pages, be aware that electronic
data can be altered subsequent to original distribution. Data can
also quickly become out of date. It is recommended that careful
attention be paid to the contents of any data associated with a
file, and that the originator of the data or information be contacted
with any questions regarding appropriate use. If you find any errors
or omissions, the Department encourages you to report them to hfswebmaster@illinois.gov
Disclaimer of Endorsement
The Department is a distributor of content sometimes supplied by
third parties and users. Any opinions, advice, statements,
services, offers, or other information or content expressed or
made available by third parties, including information providers,
users, or others, are those of the respective author(s) or
distributor(s) and do not necessarily state or reflect those of
the state of Illinois and shall not be used for advertising or product
endorsement purposes. Reference herein to any specific commercial
products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer,
or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation,
or favoring by the Department.
Disclaimer of External Links
The Department Web site contains links to other related World
Wide Web Internet sites and resources. Neither the state of Illinois
in general nor the Department in particular is responsible for the
contents of any off-site pages referenced. The user specifically
acknowledges that neither the state nor the Department is liable
for the defamatory, offensive, or illegal conduct of other users,
links, or third parties and that the risk of injury from the foregoing
rests entirely with the user. Links from the Department Web page
on the World Wide Web to other sites do not constitute an endorsement
from the Department. These links are provided as an information
service only. It is the responsibility of the Web surfer to evaluate
the content and usefulness of information obtained from other sites.
Since the Department Web site is not responsible for the availability
of these outside resources or their contents, you should direct
any concerns regarding any external link to its site administrator
or Webmaster.
Disclaimer of Duty to Continue Provision of Data
Due to the dynamic nature of the Internet, resources that are
free and publicly available one day may require a fee or restricted
access the next, and the location of items may change as menus,
home pages, and files are reorganized. The user expressly agrees
that use of the Department Web site is at the user's sole risk.
The Department does not warrant that the service will be uninterrupted
or error free. The documents and related graphics published on this
server could contain technical inaccuracies or typographical errors.
Changes are periodically added to the information herein. The Department
may make improvements or changes in the information or programs
described herein at any time.
Security
The Department, as developer and manager of this Web site, has
taken several steps to safeguard the integrity of its communications
and computing infrastructure, including but not limited to authentication,
monitoring, auditing, and encryption. Security measures have been
integrated into the design, implementation and day-to-day practices
of the entire Department operating environment as part of its continuing
commitment to risk management.
This information should not be construed in any way as giving business,
legal, or other advice, or warranting as fail proof, the security
of information provided via department supported Web sites.
Choice of Law
Construction of the disclaimers above, and resolution of disputes
thereof, are governed by the laws of the state of Illinois. The
laws of the state of Illinois, U.S.A., shall apply to all uses of
this data and this system. By use of this system and any data
contained therein, the user agrees that use shall conform to all
applicable laws and regulations and user shall not violate the rights
of any third parties.
This privacy notice applies to the following Department
site URLs:
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