Terms of Service

1. Agreement

These terms govern your use of the Growin Roots customer portal at https://growinroots.com. By signing in or using the portal — as staff or as a guardian — you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, do not use the portal; contact amanda@growinroots.com for alternatives. Our Privacy Policy describes how we handle personal information and is incorporated here by reference.

2. Accounts & access

• You must be 18 or older to create or use a guardian account.
• Access is by invitation only. Invite links are single-use and expire in 7 days — do not share them publicly.
• You are responsible for keeping your password private and for activity under your account. Tell us promptly of suspected misuse.
• Guardians see only their own family account. Staff access is limited to operating the program.
• We may suspend or revoke access for misuse, fraud, or safety reasons. You may close your account by contacting us at any time. After closure, records are retained as described in our Privacy Policy §7.

3. Guardian responsibilities

• Keep child, allergy, and special-needs information accurate and current.
• Emergency contacts (reached if you cannot be) and authorized pickup persons (who may collect your child) are separate lists — keep both accurate and current.
• You bear responsibility for who is on your authorized pickup list. Staff may release your child to anyone on that list at your direction; update it promptly if circumstances change.
• Only invite co-guardians you authorize; co-guardians you invite can see the children you link them to.
• All child information is provided by a parent, guardian, or staff member with verifiable parental consent (see Privacy Policy §3, COPPA).

4. Scheduling & attendance

• Care is by request and staff approval, subject to posted availability and capacity. Approval is not guaranteed.
• Punch in/out records are the official attendance record and the basis for charges. Tapping in/out on the kiosk or dashboard confirms the time shown.
• Disputes about times or charges must be raised promptly so staff can review while records are fresh.

5. Billing & payments

• Each punch-out posts a charge (duration × your child's assigned rate, rounded up to the rate interval). Your family balance updates live.
• Rates are set by the owner and may change; rate changes are communicated in the portal before taking effect.
• Paying the full balance zeroes what you owe; overpayments stay as account credit toward future care.
• Card payments online go through Stripe Checkout and may include a disclosed card convenience fee shown before you pay. Cash, check, and staff-recorded Venmo carry no fee. Card payments are also subject to Stripe's applicable terms; Stripe is an independent third party, not our agent.
• Refunds are handled case by case — contact us. Approved card refunds return to the original card; manual-method refunds follow the original method where possible.
• Unpaid balances may pause future approvals until resolved.

6. Acceptable use

• Use the portal only for your own family's care and billing, or for staff duties.
• Do not allow minors to use your account.
• Do not misuse invites, share accounts to evade access controls, submit false information, or interfere with the service.
• Do not attempt to access other families' records or disrupt the kiosk or other devices.

7. Availability

The portal is provided on an "as is" basis. We aim for reliable access but do not guarantee uninterrupted service; maintenance, outages, or connectivity issues may occur. Push notifications (schedule updates, punch confirmations, payment receipts) are a courtesy and delivery is not guaranteed. Critical care communication should use your normal direct channels with staff, not only portal notifications.

8. Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Growin Roots is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from portal use. Direct damages, if any, are limited to amounts you paid for care in the 3 months before the claim. Nothing here limits liability that cannot legally be limited, or duties under childcare licensing and child-safety law.

9. Governing law & changes

Wisconsin law governs these terms. If a provision is unenforceable, the rest remain in effect. Material changes will be posted here with a new effective date and, where appropriate, announced in the portal before taking effect. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance.