What Happens If My Child Is Injured at Daycare? BC Parent Rights Explained

If your child is injured at a licensed daycare in BC, a specific regulatory process applies. Licensed centres are required to have documented incident and injury policies, report certain incidents to Fraser Health, and communicate with parents immediately. Here is what BC policy requires and what you should know as a parent.

What BC Licensing Requires for Injury Reporting

Under BC’s Child Care Licensing Regulation, licensed facilities must:

• Immediately notify parents of any injury that requires medical treatment or that causes visible physical harm
• Complete a written incident report for all injuries that require first aid or medical attention
• Call 911 for any life-threatening emergency
• Report serious injuries to Fraser Health within 24 hours. Serious injuries include: any head injury, broken bone, hospitalization, loss of consciousness, or any injury requiring medical treatment beyond basic first aid
• Maintain incident records available for inspection

Fraser Health takes these reports seriously. A centre that does not report a serious injury is in violation of its licence conditions.

What Happens When Your Child Is Injured at Daycare in Practice

A standard sequence at a properly-run licensed BC daycare:

1. First aid administered: Educators trained in standard first aid provide appropriate care (all licensed centre staff must have current first aid certification in BC).
2. Parent contacted immediately: If the injury is beyond basic first aid or if the educator is uncertain about severity, the parent is called immediately. Do not wait for pickup.
3. Written incident report: The centre prepares a written account of what happened, when, where, who witnessed it, what first aid was provided, and the child’s condition afterward.
4. Copy to parent: You receive a copy of the incident report at pickup or by the next business day.
5. Fraser Health report (if required): For serious injuries, the centre files a report with Fraser Health within 24 hours.

What Parents Can Do If a Centre Does Not Follow This Process

If you believe a serious injury was not properly reported or documented:

• Request the incident report in writing. Licensed centres are required to provide it.
• File a complaint with Fraser Health: 604-949-7700. All complaints are investigated by licensing officers.
• Contact the BC Ministry of Children and Family Development if the injury appears to be the result of negligence or unsafe conditions.

Common Minor Injuries at Licensed Daycare

Some injuries are part of normal toddler development and will happen regardless of supervision quality:

• Bumps and bruises from falls (toddlers learning to walk fall — this is unavoidable)
• Bites from another child (common in toddler groups where impulse control is still developing)
• Scratches from outdoor play

These should be reported to you at pickup with a verbal explanation and a written note. They do not typically trigger a Fraser Health report.

Smiling Kids’ Injury and Incident Policy

At Smiling Kids Childcare Centre in North Coquitlam, all educators hold current first aid certification. All incidents are documented with a written report. Parents are contacted immediately for any injury beyond basic first aid. To ask about our safety protocols:

1380 Coast Meridian Rd, North Coquitlam, BC V3E 0E9 | 604-600-4393 | Mon–Fri 7:00 AM–6:00 PM

What Happens After an Incident Report at Smiling Kids

Receiving an incident report from your child’s Coquitlam daycare can feel alarming — but the existence of a documented incident report is actually a positive quality signal, not a negative one. Centres that document incidents transparently are operating as they should. Centres that do not document incidents are the ones to worry about.

BC Licensing Requirements for Incident Reporting

BC’s Child Care Licensing Regulation requires licensed daycares to:

• Document all injuries requiring first aid, medical attention, or unusual circumstances
• Notify parents of any incident involving their child as soon as practicable
• Complete a written incident report for all serious incidents
• Report critical incidents (hospitalizations, serious injuries, deaths) to the licensing authority within 24 hours
• Make incident records available to Fraser Health inspectors

The Most Common Incidents at Coquitlam Licensed Daycares

The vast majority of daycare incident reports involve:

• Minor falls — bumped heads, scraped knees — the inevitable result of active toddlers in shared spaces
• Biting incidents — one child bites another (both children receive reports)
• Allergic reactions — even mild ones are documented at quality centres
• Choking incidents — including near-misses where first aid was applied
• Medication errors — rare but required to be documented and reported

What to Do When You Receive an Incident Report

• Read the full report carefully — the description of what happened, when, where, and the educator’s response
• If the injury required treatment, ensure your child received appropriate first aid at the daycare and follow up with your pediatrician if you are unsure
• If you have questions, ask the educator at pickup — not in front of your child
• If this is a repeated pattern (same type of incident repeatedly), have a private conversation with the director about what is changing to prevent recurrence

At Smiling Kids, incident reports are completed the same day and given to parents at pickup. Serious incidents are communicated by phone before pickup. 1380 Coast Meridian Rd, Coquitlam. 604-600-4393.

For a complete guide to licensed daycare in Coquitlam — infant and toddler programmes, CCFRI ($10/day childcare), ACCB eligibility, and how to enroll at Smiling Kids — call 604-600-4393 or visit our main Coquitlam daycare guide.