Daycare & School Incident Report Template
Incidents involving children demand rigor and transparency with families. This template includes a dedicated field for the person involved, witnesses, and a dual staff/supervisor signature.
What this template includes
Every field below is part of the free template and the mobile version — nothing is locked behind a paywall for filling out a single report.
- Report number and date/time of the incident
- Location or site
- Reporter's name and role
- Severity (minor, moderate, or critical)
- Person(s) involved — name, role, contact
- Witness(es) — name, phone
- Description of events
- Immediate action taken and root cause (if known)
- Up to 3 timestamped photographs
- Reporter signature
- Witness or supervisor signature
Common use cases
- Minor fall or injury during recess
- Medical incident (allergy, illness)
- Conflict between children
- Incident during a field trip
Frequently asked questions
Do parents need to sign the report?
Policies vary by state and facility, but many licensing bodies expect a staff member or supervisor to sign the report and a copy to be shared with the child's parent or guardian, typically the same day.
How long should a daycare keep incident reports?
Most state licensing agencies require child-care incident records to be kept for several years, and some require the file to be retained until the child reaches a certain age. Check your state's specific childcare licensing requirements.
For the federal recordkeeping rules referenced above, see OSHA's recordkeeping requirements.
Go digital: signature, photos, and archiving included
The Pro plan at $49/mo includes OSHA 301 export, 5-year legal archiving, and unlimited users on 1 site.
See pricing