An injury needing medical care means a same-day notice to the parent and a report to licensing, and not reporting it is its own violation that reads as concealment.

The Report That Protects You — or Sinks You

Kids fall. Most of the time it is a scraped knee and a hug. But some falls cross a line that Title 22 draws, and on the wrong side of that line is a reporting duty — one that, ignored, turns an accident into a concealment case. Ava asked attorney Michael Benavides when a fall becomes a report.

Ava Asks, Michael Answers — Unusual Incident Reports, Plain English

Ava: A child fell and scraped a knee. Do I report it?

Michael, Esq.: The test is whether the injury required medical treatment, or otherwise threatened the child’s health or safety. A scrape you clean and bandage is usually internal documentation. A fall that needs a doctor, stitches, an ER visit, or a suspected fracture is a reportable unusual incident.

Ava: Who do I tell, and how fast?

Michael, Esq.: Notify the parent or authorized representative no later than the same business day. Report to Community Care Licensing — by phone for a serious incident, followed by the written form: LIC 624 for centers, LIC 624B for family child-care homes.

Ava: What goes on the form?

Michael, Esq.: The date, time, and exactly what happened; the injury and the care given; who witnessed it; and what you did to prevent a repeat. Write it factually and promptly — the form is contemporaneous evidence that works in your favor if it is honest and complete.

Ava: What if I just… don’t report?

Michael, Esq.: Failure to report a reportable incident is itself a violation, and it looks far worse than the fall. If licensing learns of an unreported injury later — and they often do, from a parent — the story becomes concealment, which drives citations toward revocation.

Ava: Does a good report actually help me?

Michael, Esq.: Yes. A prompt, honest report that shows you supervised, responded, notified, and corrected is often your strongest evidence that the injury was an accident, not neglect.

What to Do

If a child’s injury needs medical treatment, Title 22 requires same-day notice to the parent and a report to Community Care Licensing (LIC 624 for centers, LIC 624B for family homes) — and failing to report is its own violation that reads as concealment. Document the fall factually and fast; a clean, honest report is your best defense that it was an accident. If licensing is treating an incident as neglect or you missed a report, a license-defense consultation can help.

Michael Benavides, Esq. — California child-care & RCFE license defense | CA Bar No. 270714 | Sacramento, Modesto, San Jose, San Francisco & Oakland | 707-362-4166 | attorneymichaelbenavides.com

ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. This is a legal-content post from the law practice of Michael Benavides, Esq., California State Bar No. 270714. Ava is an editorial brand voice, not an attorney; only Michael Benavides, Esq. provides legal analysis. General information only — not legal advice; no attorney-client relationship is formed by reading this. Authority referenced (Title 22 CCR §§ 101212, 102417; CDSS forms LIC 624 / LIC 624B) is as of mid-2026 — confirm current law before acting. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.