California Code § 101212(d)(1)(C): Unusual Incident Reporting

Unusual Incident Reporting under California Code 101212(d)(1)(C) requires childcare facilities to report any unusual incident or child absence that threatens the physical or emotional health or safety of any child. This includes situations like missing children, serious behavioral incidents that could cause harm, concerning patterns of absences that may indicate safety issues at home, and any event that puts a child's wellbeing at risk. The regulation requires documentation and reporting even if the incident was resolved quickly or seemed minor at the time.

As of November 23, 2025, 26 facilities have been cited for unusual incident reporting violations in the past 90 days—that's approximately 1 in 1,538 California childcare facilities. These citations occurred across 15 counties, with Los Angeles County having the most citations (6 facilities), followed by Orange County (3 facilities), and San Bernardino, Alameda, and San Diego counties (2 facilities each). Out of 7,551 facilities inspected during this period, 0.34% received this citation, making it a relatively uncommon but serious violation when it occurs.

Inspectors cite this regulation when facilities fail to report incidents that threaten children's physical or emotional safety, or when they don't properly document concerning child absences. Common triggers include: not reporting a child who briefly went missing even if quickly found, failing to document a serious behavioral incident between children that resulted in injury or emotional distress, not reporting a pattern of unexplained absences that might indicate problems at home, incomplete incident documentation that lacks objective facts about what happened, or delayed reporting beyond required timeframes even though the situation was handled internally. The key issue inspectors look for is whether the facility recognized the incident as reportable and acted appropriately.

Develop clear, written criteria for what constitutes a reportable unusual incident and train all staff on recognition and reporting procedures during orientation and ongoing training. Keep detailed incident logs for all safety-related events, even minor ones—patterns of smaller incidents may become reportable even if individual events aren't. When in doubt about whether something is reportable, err on the side of reporting rather than waiting. Create a simple incident report template that captures all required details: what happened (objective facts), when it occurred, who was involved, what actions were taken, and any follow-up needed. Establish a system for same-day reporting to licensing and ensure all staff know how to access reporting procedures quickly. Review your incident logs monthly to identify patterns that might require reporting.

If you receive a citation for unusual incident reporting, immediately review the specific incident(s) that weren't properly reported and submit any missing reports to Community Care Licensing within 24 hours. Conduct a thorough review of all recent incidents in the past 90 days to identify any other unreported events and report them proactively. Update your incident reporting policies and procedures to address the gaps identified by the inspector, including clearer definitions of reportable events and specific reporting timelines. Retrain all staff on the updated procedures within one week, documenting attendance and comprehension. In your Plan of Correction (POC), describe the specific systemic changes you're implementing—not just that you'll 'do better'—and include how you'll monitor compliance going forward. If the citation involves a pattern of non-reporting or serious incidents, consider consulting with a childcare licensing specialist to ensure your corrective actions are comprehensive.