Safeguarding Statement
KidsHost is built on the premise that the safest playdates are between families that already know each other. This page explains the design choices and policies that protect children on our platform.
1. KidsHost is a parent-to-parent platform — not a children's platform
- Only adult parents (18+) can create accounts.
- Children do not register, log in, have profiles, or interact with KidsHost in any way.
- The KidsHost WhatsApp bot only ever exchanges messages with adult parents who have explicitly opted in.
- No content, photos, videos, or messages from children are collected, transmitted, or stored.
2. Pre-existing real-life relationships only
KidsHost does not introduce strangers. The product is designed to coordinate playdates only between families that already know each other from a shared real-world context: the same school, the same club, or the same local playground. Parents control which families are in their circle. KidsHost does not promote, suggest, or facilitate contact with families a parent does not already know.
3. Minimal child data
The only data we hold about a child is what is strictly necessary for parents to recognise their own and each other's children:
- Child's first name (no surname)
- Child's age range (e.g. "5–7")
We do not collect: surnames, dates of birth, home addresses, school class lists, photographs, location data, contact details, biometric identifiers, health information, or any sensitive personal data about children.
4. UK ICO Age-Appropriate Design Code
KidsHost designs and operates in line with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) Age-Appropriate Design Code (the Children's Code). Specifically:
- Best interests of the child — product decisions are evaluated against the impact on children, not just on parents.
- Data minimisation — we collect only the minimum data needed for the service.
- Default settings — high privacy is the default; nothing about a child is shared beyond the parent's circle.
- No profiling of children — we do not build behavioural profiles of children.
- No nudge techniques — the bot does not use dark patterns to push parents to share more child data than necessary.
5. What KidsHost is NOT
- Not a dating service. KidsHost connects parents who already know each other in real life. There is no romantic, social-networking, or stranger-matching dimension.
- Not a childcare service. KidsHost does not provide, hire, or vet supervisors. Parents are responsible for supervising their own children during any playdate.
- Not a children's social network. Children have no presence on the platform.
- Not a marketplace. KidsHost does not sell goods or services to parents or children, nor allow third parties to do so via the platform.
6. Reporting a safeguarding concern
If you have a concern about a child's safety arising from a KidsHost interaction, please contact us immediately at safeguarding@kidshost.co.uk. We will investigate promptly.
If a child is at immediate risk, please call 999 (UK emergency services) or the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000.
7. Suspension and removal
We may immediately suspend or remove any account where we reasonably believe a parent has breached our Terms of Service in a way that endangers a child, or where another parent reports a credible safeguarding concern. We cooperate with UK law enforcement on any lawful request.
8. Contact
General queries: hello@kidshost.co.uk
Safeguarding queries: safeguarding@kidshost.co.uk
Data protection queries: privacy@kidshost.co.uk