Tia Sauls
Tia Sauls is an early education specialist who helps families and educators navigate the child care, early education, and K–12 landscapes.
No one wants an accident to happen but they do happen. And while many accidents are minor, it's best to be prepared and know how to document them properly.
Knowing how to document or report an incident in your program, allows you to keep families informed and it can identify safety concerns before they become bigger issues. Here we’ll take you through everything you need to know when documenting an incident report at your daycare center.
What Is a Daycare Incident Report?
An incident report is a written record that documents events that affect a child's safety, health and overall well-being while in your care. This report will explain what happened, when, who was involved and how staff responded.
Why Incident Reports Matter
Incident reports are essential for transparent and consistent communication with families. They can be used as a helpful resource later when questions are asked about behavioral concerns, illness or injury. And because you are running a business, an incident report can also be a form of protection or evidence for your center as it may be required for licensing, insurance or internal reviews.
When Should You Complete an Incident Report?
The best time to complete an incident report is as soon as possible. Waiting too long after the incident has occurred can result in the child or witnesses forgetting vital information. Instead, document the incident as soon as things are settled.
For example, in an injury incident, you want to ensure the child is safe and first aid is administered, then you will sit with everyone involved and write up your report.
Legal Requirements for Incident Reports
Incident reports are regulated at state level. It is best to review your state's licensing regulations or your licensing agency to find out the exact legal requirements for your daycare incident reports. With that said, many states do require you to do the below:
- Notify the families on the same day the incident occurred
- Depending on the severity of the incident, report it to your licensing agency or state authority
Reporting Serious Incidents
Although minor incidents typically require documentation and to be shared with families, more serious incidents may have additional reporting requirements. This can include injuries suspected of neglect or abuse, requiring medical treatments or emergency transportation or incidents that put the child at significant risk.
Because of this you should definitely review your licensing regulations and establish clear procedures for staff to follow when a serious incident occurs.
What Information Should Be Included?
Your incident report should relay the facts of the events that took place. The goal with a strong report is to document everything that happened as accurately as possible.
This will should include:
- Date and time
- Location
- Child’s name
- Names of staff members involved
- Description of the incident
- Staff signatures
- Aid provided, e.g., bandages, allergy medication, etc
- Parent contact details and noted notification
In a case where two or more children are involved, you will create a report for each of them.
How to Write an Effective Incident Report
When writing an effective incident report, you want to keep your language as objective and specific as possible. Avoid including any personal opinions and assumptions or placing blame. You should maintain professionalism, and explain the incident in as much detail as possible.
Daycare Incident Report Template
Knowing how to format your incident report doesn’t have to be overwhelming. But here is our daycare incident report basic template that you can use as a starting point:
|
Section |
Information to Include |
|
Child's Name |
Name and surname of child involved. |
|
Date and Time |
The exact date and time when the incident took place. Try to be as accurate as possible. |
|
Location |
Apart from the center’s address, this will include the classroom, breakroom, playground etc. |
|
Description of Incident |
Full description of what happened, including any and all events that lead to the incident |
|
Injury or Concern |
Note down any scrapes, bruises, behavioral concerns etc. |
|
Action Taken |
Any first aid administered, concerns, comfort protocols |
|
Parent Notification |
When and how families were contacted and informed |
|
Witnesses |
Anyone who observed or were involved in the incident |
|
Follow-Up Required |
Monitoring, medical evaluation, policy review, etc. |
|
Staff Signature |
Name and signature of reporting staff member |
|
Parent Signature |
If required by program policy |
Be sure to take a look at our more in-depth Daycare Incident Report template which you can adapt to your state’s licensing requirements.
Steps to Take After Completing an Incident Report
Communicating Incident Reports With Families
Once your report is complete, your next step is to inform the families. A prompt notification is always best especially with more serious events that may have resulted in injury.
When communicating with parents, be sure to take them through everything that happened and any steps staff took to respond. Parents appreciate full transparency and honesty.
How to Store and Retain Incident Reports
It is important to note that incident reports contain confidential information and should be securely stored. This also means that they need to be limited to authorized persons only. Now you can store these reports digitally or on paper.
How long you retain incident reports depends on your state's requirements as they may vary, but it is often between one to three years.
Best Practices to Keeping Daycare Incident Reports:
- Storing reports in secure child files
- Maintaining digital backups when appropriate
- Obtaining staff and parent signatures
- Tracking parent notification dates
- Retaining records according to state requirements
- Limiting access to confidential information
Regularly reviewing your documentation procedures can help ensure records remain complete, secure, and easy to retrieve when needed.
Using Incident Reports to Improve Safety
An incident report can be used to identify safety improvements needed at your center. For example if injuries often happen in the same space, this can indicate the need for additional supervision or equipment.
Final Thoughts
Daycare incident reports have more than one function. They maintain the safety of the children, the professionalism of your program and strengthen parent trust in your program.
Incident reports also help you better communicate with families, identify opportunities for improvements and document important events. All of which contribute to the safety of the children in your care which is the most important.
