Ohio child care child file checklist

1. Check enrollment and emergency information

Ohio’s child-record rule requires the DCY 01234 enrollment form, or a content-equivalent form, by the child’s first day of attendance. Review the completed information, not just whether a file is present.

• Confirm the record belongs to the child. Check identity and enrollment information against your active roster. Keep the first attendance date available because other requirements use it as a deadline anchor.
• Review emergency and release information. Check contacts, authorized pickup information, and the required health and emergency details. Resolve unclear or incomplete entries with the family.
• Document annual reviews and changes. The parent and administrator or designee must initial and date annual reviews and updates, even when no information has changed. A new upload date alone does not document that review.

Official source: Rule 5180:2-12-15

2. Track immunization evidence separately

Keep the immunization record or an applicable exemption statement separate from the enrollment-review task. Ohio’s rule requires the record within thirty days of first attendance and updates at intervals of no more than thirteen months. Confirm the precise evidence and exceptions in the current rule.

• Use the attendance date. Calculate the initial timing from first attendance, rather than the date a parent started an application.
• Document why an exception applies. The school-attendance exception depends on actual kindergarten-or-higher attendance in an elementary school. Age or the name of a classroom alone is not enough.
• Keep separate review dates. Record the actual immunization-document date and next review alongside, rather than replacing, the enrollment form’s annual review.

Official source: Rule 5180:2-12-15

3. Connect care plans to the people providing care

For a qualifying chronic health condition requiring special care, review the child-record rule’s care-plan requirements. The DCY 01236 or a permitted equivalent with required instructions must be in place by first attendance or confirmation of the condition. Keep the plan available to the staff who need it.

• Check the plan and its review. Review the required information, signatures, and annual review. Follow up when the family reports a change that affects the child’s care.
• Connect the plan to staff preparation. Keep the required list of trained staff with the plan and review coverage when classroom assignments change. A stored plan alone does not show that staff can implement it.

Official source: Rule 5180:2-12-15

4. Add records for the care and activities provided

Use an applicability check instead of marking every possible form missing for every child. Review additional requirements for infants, medication, transportation, and other activities your center offers.

• Medication. When applicable, review written parental permission, required instructions, and records of actual administration under the medication rule. Keep authorization separate from the administration log.
• Trips and transportation. Check the required written parent permission before the trip or activity, including routine walks covered by the rule. Make sure the permission covers the activity being provided.

Official sources: Rule 5180:2-12-25; Rule 5180:2-12-14

5. Review access and retention

Confirm authorized staff can retrieve emergency information and relevant care instructions when needed. Review the actual documents for legibility and completeness after an upload; keep sensitive child information out of broadly shared task notes.

For the child records covered by rule 5180:2-12-15, the retention period is twelve months from the signature or update, whichever is later, including after a child leaves. Other records can have their own retention rules. Record the relevant dates and check all applicable obligations before deleting a departed child’s file.

Official source: Rule 5180:2-12-15