Terms of use

These Terms of use ("Terms") govern the use of Pinwheel, the community portal ("portal") provided by the Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program ("MITP") under the Maryland State Department of Education ("MSDE"). The portal was developed and is maintained by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Technology in Education ("JHU, CTE") and serves families, Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program Providers, and community stakeholders who are authorized by families to access child information.

Acceptance of terms

By creating an account and accessing the portal, users acknowledge and agree to abide by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you are required not to use the portal.

Content

All content within the portal, including text and images, are either owned by or licensed to MSDE and JHU, CTE. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, republication, or retransmission of portal material is strictly prohibited.

User responsibilities and Acceptable Use Policy

All users are responsible for maintaining the security of their accounts, including protecting their passwords and supervising all activities occurring under their accounts. Users are expected to behave respectfully and lawfully, report any issues or potential problems promptly, and agree to comply with any updates or changes to these Terms.

In addition, users agree to:

  • not share their username or password.
  • treat all individuals with respect and refrain from language that is offensive, harassing, discriminatory, or defamatory.
  • not attempt to harm or destroy data.
  • not share any confidential or private information without explicit authorization.
  • not attempt to access data or any other account they do not have legal rights to access.
  • not utilize the portal for any illegal activity, including the violation of data privacy laws.

Parents or guardians have the additional responsibility to control and maintain access to their child's information, which includes granting and revoking access to users outside MITP, determining access levels, and renewing consent to share information when prompted or on an annual basis.

Portal access

Access to the portal is granted by MITP to the parent / guardian of children with an active Individualized Family Services Plan (IFSP). Only these parents / guardians can grant or revoke access to their child’s record and adjust access permissions.

Communications

Users will receive periodic notifications from the portal via their preferred method of communication.

User access termination

Parents / guardians can revoke or amend an authorized user’s access to their child’s record at any time. Notifications of termination will be sent to both the parent / guardian and the authorized user.

Privacy Policy

By using the portal, users acknowledge and agree to the Privacy and Security Policy, which details how personal information is collected, used, and protected.

Disclosure

We may disclose information about a user's account for specific reasons, such as transaction completion, compliance with court orders, to fulfill permissible MSDE or MITP requests, for aggregate reporting, or with the user's explicit permission.

Limited liability

While MSDE and JHU, CTE will use reasonable measures to protect user and child information, they are not liable for improper use of the portal or the internet.

Amendments to the Terms

We reserve the right to revise these Terms from time to time. Any changes will be notified on our site and through your preferred communication method. Continued use of the portal following the changes signifies acceptance of the revised Terms.