When injuries occur with children in daycare, it's important to keep a record of these accidents in a daycare incident report and to inform parents. Daycare centers are places where parents leave their children in controlled and watchful environments during the workday, but even the most vigilant daycare center can't keep every child out of danger 100 percent of the time.
From cuts and falls to allergic reactions, children are prone to getting injured or ill in daycare settings. Falls alone send 8,000 children to the emergency room every year.
Learn more about how to write an incident report in childcare below.
Table of Contents
- Daycare Incident Report Policy
- How to Write an Incident Report in Childcare
- Template for Daycare Incident Report
- How to Comply With State Laws
Daycare Incident Report Policy
A daycare incident report is a record of any injuries, accidents or illnesses incurred at a daycare center. These incidents warrant reporting if they are severe enough to stop a child's normal activities in order to receive some form of medical attention or first aid.
Rather than viewing an incident report as a source of blame and punishment, use it as a tool to build trust and increase transparency. It is also a way to track accountability.
What Does It Entail?
A daycare incident report policy requires any incidents occurring on daycare property to be properly documented. It is a must to fill out an incident report within 24 hours of the incident in question. Daycare incident reports inform parents and legal guardians about the health and safety of their children.
Reasons for a childcare incident report could include any of these issues:
- Injury or illness: The most common cause for reporting whenever a child is injured or gets sick; includes everything from a cold or allergic reaction to a broken bone or head injury
- Neglect: A child is left without little to no proper supervision
- Aggressive or unusual behavior: Reporting helps identify the root of the problem and offers early intervention while also predicting future behavior
- Care errors: A child’s care instructions aren't followed, such as medication errors or feeding schedules
- Suspicion of abuse: Mandated reporting for abuse varies from state to state
You must document even something as minor as a skinned knee or cut from a fall in your report. If a child gets an infection as a result of an injury, you still need to show you took the necessary reporting steps such as applying antibacterial cream and a bandage. Falls in children under age 1 account for 50% of nonfatal injuries.
You must use childcare incident reports for any incident requiring medication or outside intervention. Regardless of whether or not the incident requires reporting in your state, each state has its own licensing authority for reporting abuse or negligence.
Why Childcare Providers Need Policies
Having daycare incident reports may be a requirement for state-licensed daycares to comply with state laws. It's a system that keeps daycares accountable.
Childcare providers may also maintain accurate incident reports as a condition of insurance coverage. Without the proper documentation, they could be found liable for negligence and the legal costs involved due to a child sustaining serious injuries on daycare property.
Daycare accident reports also help prevent misunderstandings after an incident by detailing and documenting exactly what happened. They also identify when and how the incident occurred and which staff members witnessed the event and cared for the child.
Beyond that, providing childcare incident reports for your daycare shows that you are transparent in how you operate. It demonstrates that you are a responsible business that is always willing to improve its established safety protocols.
Reports also show you where you may need to adjust your current daycare incident report policy to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. You may also need to follow up on incidents at your center.
What Should Be In It?
A good rule of thumb for a daycare incident report is to follow the five Ws. The incident report should include:
Who: Document any individuals involved in the incident or those who witnessed it, along with their contact information and relevant credentials.
What: Log precise details of what happened to record the incident and determine what follow-up actions must take place.
When: The time and date of the incident are necessary for record keeping and proper documentation.
Where: The report needs to establish where the incident occurred, on-site or off, noting the exact location.
Why: Note any possible reason the incident could have occurred.
Each daycare incident report must contain specific information about the incident. In addition, it should mention which child was involved in the incident and what steps were taken after it. If you can determine a cause of the incident it will reflect well on your daycare's reputation.
An incident report also requires the daycare to list steps or procedures you will undertake to prevent another similar incident from occurring. Do not speculate; only state facts about the incident.
Complete a report of the incident as soon as possible when the situation is still fresh in everyone's minds, as long as the initial danger has passed. This form should be completed by any staff members present during the accident to attest as witnesses.
While not required, include any photographs of the child's injuries with the report when possible. This will help you verify the details in your report and remove all doubt or suspicion otherwise.
You must document when the incident took place and when the response occurred. You should also note when the report was filed and when the other parties involved were notified.
How to Notify Parents
The daycare center must notify parents immediately after the child receives the care they need. Use the contact information in the child's emergency contact form.
Try to reassure the parents that everything is okay first. Parents may become upset or distraught upon hearing their child is sick or injured. Give them the proper time to ask any questions and understand the situation better.
You should use the daycare accident report to help guide the discussion and stay on track. Calmly explain exactly what happened and how you handled the situation. Clarify any steps taken or yet to be taken.
Supply the parents or legal guardians with a copy of the incident report to take with them when they come to the center. Having the parents sign the report is also a good idea. It indicates that you have communicated the details and that they understand them.
How to Keep Track of Incident Report Records
Each state has its own procedure for storing and sharing daycare incident reports. You can determine the legal requirements regarding record keeping by contacting your state's department of human services. In some cases, it is recommended that you keep a childcare incident report for up to two years.
If you use a childcare management system for your daycare center, it will often include document management capabilities. This allows you to upload and store digital copies of the reports to each family's profile for tracking and record keeping.
In addition to incident reports, your center should also engage in daily communication practices with a child's family about their child's current status.
How to Write an Incident Report in Childcare
First and foremost, ensure the child's safety and well-being as a priority before writing your incident report. However, you can begin a report on the incident once the child receives proper and adequate care.
You already know what basic information an incident report contains, but a daycare incident report should include many other aspects. The primary pieces of information are:
- The name of the daycare
- The childcare consultant's name
- The injured child's name and age
- The cause of the injury
- The date and time
- The location of the incident
- The types of injuries the child suffered
- The locations of any injuries the child suffered on their body
Your daycare accident report should also elaborate on other information such as any medical treatment or first aid the child received. If the child had to be taken off-site via ambulance for treatment, list the name of the medical facility.
List the names and numbers of any staff members who witnessed the incident. Mention any items involved in causing the incident from toys to furniture or playground equipment. You must also list any steps the center will take to keep the incident from happening again.
Once the incident report is completed, it should be signed and dated by the child's parent or guardian and the employee who completed the form. The form should note the method used to contact the child's parent or guardian. It should also contain the name of the employee who contacted them and the date and time the parent or guardian was contacted.
Template for Daycare Incident Report
A sample template for a daycare incident report helps you ensure you include all the information you need and following your daycare incident report policy. You can tailor it as needed to fit your specifications. Take a look at the samples here for guidance on how to write an incident report in childcare.
We include two links below the image. Click on them to download a PDF or a Word version. We also include the text used in the reports in case you are looking to create your own template from scratch.
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How to Comply With State Laws
Because every state’s laws vary, look up the individual laws for your state's reporting requirements. Some states may require you to write up a childcare incident report for your files and call a special state reporting number to inform them of the report. You can also call your area's regional licensing office in some locations.
To reach the appropriate agency in your state or territory, visit Childcare.gov for the relevant contact information for every state and territory.
Some states may require you to mail, email or fax a copy of the report to them, while other states give you the option to fill out a form online and submit it digitally.
For example, the Arizona Department of Health Services allows you to fill in a premade form online for Child Care Facility Complaints on their website. You should still either fill out your own center's daycare incident report or make a copy of the one you submitted online for good measure. Doing so will make certain you cover all your bases.
California Department of Social Services
The California Department of Social Services requires daycares to submit two different reports to the licensing department. One form (LIC 624) is for childcare centers to report unusual incidents.
Unusual incidents that require reporting include:
- Communicable disease outbreaks such as mumps/measles or COVID
- Injuries to children requiring medical intervention
- Any cases of suspected child abuse
- Any incidents that put children in danger, like unattended wandering from the daycare facility
The second report relates to any changes occurring in your facility's overall operations such as:
- Address changes
- Modifications to your facility
- Personnel changes
Some events may require daycares to report to more than one government agency. Depending on the incident, you must inform the proper authorities accordingly.
Report any events pertaining to a public health risk, like a COVID outbreak, to the Department of Public Health. Events that involve any type of criminal activity require reporting to your local law enforcement branch. You should always report events relating to any sort of suspected child abuse to your area's local child protective services agency.
Always consult your state and regional laws for the appropriate information. This will ensure that you are in line with proper compliance ordinances in addition to following your daycare incident report policy.
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