Use one attendance record for each operating day
Choose a paper log, spreadsheet, or approved digital form that staff can use consistently. Start each record with the operating date and identify every child in the same way each day, such as by the child’s full name or a center-assigned identifier.
For each child, keep separate arrival and departure entries. Include the date and time for both events, even when the date is the same. If a child is absent or an expected entry is missing, use a clear status or note rather than leaving a blank that could be mistaken for an oversight.
Record an arrival when the child arrives and a departure when the child leaves. If an entry needs correction, make the change in a way that leaves the original readable or preserves the system’s edit history; add who made the correction and when, if the format supports it.
Write incident notes from what was observed
Create a separate note for each incident and write it as soon as the immediate response allows. Record the date, time, and place, then identify the child and other people involved. Describe actions, words, or conditions that someone observed; distinguish a direct observation from information another person shared.
Use specific, neutral wording. For example, describe the action and what happened next instead of assigning a motive or using a label. If exact words matter and are remembered, identify who said them and mark them as a quotation. If a detail is unknown, say it is unknown rather than filling in a guess.
Keep the response, family communication, and follow-up as separate parts of the note. Record what staff did and when, who contacted the family and when, the communication method and key information shared, and the next step with the person responsible for it.
Close the loop and store records consistently
At a regular handoff or end-of-day review, check attendance for missing arrival or departure details and confirm that incident notes have the people, timing, observations, response, family communication, and follow-up recorded. A short checklist helps different staff use the same sequence.
Keep records in the location and format your center has chosen, and limit access to people who need the information for their work. Follow your center’s process for retention, corrections, and sharing. An attendance log and an incident record serve different purposes; a daily family update can refer to a communication, but does not replace the incident record.
ATTENDANCE RECORD PROMPT
One child, one dated arrival and departure record
Use the same fields for each child on each operating day. Add a row or page for each child in the format your team already uses.
- Child identity
- Full name or consistent center identifier
- Operating date
- Date covered by this attendance record
- Arrival
- Arrival date: ________ Arrival time: ________
- Departure
- Departure date: ________ Departure time: ________
- Status or note
- Absent, late, early departure, or missing detail (if relevant)
INCIDENT RECORD PROMPT
Capture the event and what happens next
Complete each relevant field with a clear fact or a short note. If something is unknown or still pending, label it that way.
- Child identity
- Child’s full name or consistent center identifier
- People involved
- Children and adults involved; identify their roles when useful
- When and where
- Date, time, and location or activity
- What was observed
- Actions, words, or conditions; separate direct observations from reports by others
- Response taken
- What staff did, who acted, and when
- Family communication
- Who was contacted, when and how, and the key information shared
- Follow-up
- Next step, person responsible, and when it should happen
- Record completed by
- Staff name or identifier and time the note was entered
A useful record is timely, specific, and easy for the next authorized staff member to understand. Consistency matters more than length.