Children's Files

[Homebody]

For children who are no longer in your care, how long do you keep their file that contains their medical records, contract, etc. on record? Is this something we are suppose to keep long term? I have a couple of kids files I'm not sure what to do with. Thanks

[hwichlaz]

California Lic. requires 3 years. I put them at the back of my accordian file all together for 3 years, then in a box in the shed until it gets full. At that point it's fire starter. That way I'm covered for both licensing and IRS audit.

[Homebody]

California Lic. requires 3 years. I put them at the back of my accordian file all together for 3 years, then in a box in the shed until it gets full. At that point it's fire starter. That way I'm covered for both licensing and IRS audit.

Thanks! My state doesn't have anything in the regulations handbook on how long to keep them. 3 years sounds like a good rule of thumb.

[e.j.]

In MA, we have to keep records for 5 years after a child leaves our care.

[Alwaysgreener]

Here it is four years. However, Tom Copeland told a story during a conference that about a provider that got sued by a former child, for an injury that occurred when he was in the provider's care. This provider had retired from being a provider for several years before the child sued her.
So I plan on keeping an electronic copy of all files just in case.

[DaveA]

I still have them from all the children I've had in 11 years. I keep them in my current files for a year or so then put them in storage in the basement.

[Blackcat31]

I still have every file for every kid I've ever had in care stored away. That's alot of files....

[Homebody]

I still have them from all the children I've had in 11 years. I keep them in my current files for a year or so then put them in storage in the basement.

I still have every file for every kid I've ever had in care stored away. That's alot of files....

Oh wow! That is definitely a lot of files you two have stored away!

Here it is four years. However, Tom Copeland told a story during a conference that about a provider that got sued by a former child, for an injury that occurred when he was in the provider's care. This provider had retired from being a provider for several years before the child sued her.
So I plan on keeping an electronic copy of all files just in case.

That's very scary! I couldn't imagine. I'm trying to keep down on paper clutter, and have gotten rid of quite a bit over the last few months. I've always been afraid to throw any of it away. I guess when it comes to children's files they should be kept indefinitely because you never know something like this could happen to you!

[Homebody]

In MA, we have to keep records for 5 years after a child leaves our care.

I guess every state has there own rules on this. Thanks for your response.

[MarinaVanessa]

Here it is four years. However, Tom Copeland told a story during a conference that about a provider that got sued by a former child, for an injury that occurred when he was in the provider's care. This provider had retired from being a provider for several years before the child sued her.
So I plan on keeping an electronic copy of all files just in case.

You mean as in keeping all files no matter what? My children's files are just the state's intake paperwork, their contracts and their immunization records. I don't have "Unusual Injury/Incident Reports" for any of my past or current children except for one child because (knock on wood) I haven't had any serious injuries or unusual incidents other than the one, thank goodness that other than the occasional normal scrape or bruise from normal play nothing big has happened.

It makes sense to keep the file of that one child because it's considered an unusual incident but all of them? Not sure how keeping all paperwork would be helpful to me. It would have old contact info and their admission and termination date but all of that info is on my roster and those I do keep. Wondering if I really do have to keep all of their files and being a scrooge about it ::

[Alwaysgreener]

You mean as in keeping all files no matter what? My children's files are just the state's intake paperwork, their contracts and their immunization records. I don't have "Unusual Injury/Incident Reports" for any of my past or current children except for one child because (knock on wood) I haven't had any serious injuries or unusual incidents other than the one, thank goodness that other than the occasional normal scrape or bruise from normal play nothing big has happened.

It makes sense to keep the file of that one child because it's considered an unusual incident but all of them? Not sure how keeping all paperwork would be helpful to me. It would have old contact info and their admission and termination date but all of that info is on my roster and those I do keep. Wondering if I really do have to keep all of their files and being a scrooge about it ::

Personally, for me, I mean all files. I had an underhanded parent here that I termed, even though the child never got hurt here, I kept everything. .. sign in sheets, registration with bdates and addresses, daily notes on child and so forth, communication with families. DCM could easily tell the child that an injury happened here that didn't and I would need all of that to prove that I was innocent.

[MarinaVanessa]

Personally, for me, I mean all files. I had an underhanded parent here that I termed, even though the child never got hurt here, I kept everything. .. sign in sheets, registration with bdates and addresses, daily notes on child and so forth, communication with families. DCM could easily tell the child that an injury happened here that didn't and I would need all of that to prove that I was innocent.

I do keep sign in sheets for tax purposes along with meal counts and tha type of stuff but only for 7 years. Emails/texts I never delete (texts are to my Google number so they're saved on the cloud indefinitely). I don't keep daily notes for myself, just a daily sheet for parents that request one for babies a year and younger but I don't keep a copy.
I'm going to need a bigger filing cabinet if I need to keep all of the kids folders until they're adults. I'm going to need a bigger house ::

[Alwaysgreener]

I do keep sign in sheets for tax purposes along with meal counts and tha type of stuff but only for 7 years. Emails/texts I never delete (texts are to my Google number so they're saved on the cloud indefinitely). I don't keep daily notes for myself, just a daily sheet for parents that request one for babies a year and younger but I don't keep a copy.
I'm going to need a bigger filing cabinet if I need to keep all of the kids folders until they're adults. I'm going to need a bigger house ::

It is up to you how much you keep but I would recommend going electronic and not just paper copies.

I do an andecodotal type note on my computer and will write down things like "DCB came in this morning with a cut on left hand, DCM said it was from falling down outside" Later I take a picture of the cut and add "picture taken"