Idaho Daycare Recordkeeping Requirements — What You Must Keep on File

Why Record-Keeping Is a Licensing Issue

Idaho does not treat record-keeping as optional paperwork. During annual health inspections, public health district sanitarians check your physical records as part of the compliance review. Missing or incomplete records can result in a corrective action notice and, if unresolved, can jeopardize your license renewal.

The records fall into three categories: child files, operational logs, and facility documentation. Each has specific content requirements and retention rules.

Child Files — What Goes in Each Folder

Every child enrolled in your daycare should have an individual file maintained on-site. A practical file should include:

• Enrollment form with the child's full legal name, date of birth, home address, and parent/guardian contact information
• Emergency contacts — at least two adults authorized to pick up the child, with current phone numbers
• Immunization records — a copy of the child's current immunization certificate or other documentation accepted under Idaho's current requirements
• Allergy and medical information — any known allergies, chronic conditions, medications, and the authorized response plan
• Authorized pick-up list — names and identification details of every person permitted to collect the child
• Signed parent agreements — your enrollment contract, fee schedule acknowledgment, discipline policy, and illness exclusion policy

Keep these files accessible on-site during operating hours. If an inspector asks to see a child's immunization record and you cannot produce it, that may be a deficiency.

Daily Attendance and Sign-In/Out Logs

You must maintain a daily attendance record showing when each child arrives and departs. The log should include:

• Child's name
• Date
• Exact arrival time
• Exact departure time
• Signature or initials of the parent or authorized pick-up person at both drop-off and pick-up

Paper sign-in sheets are acceptable for standard licensed providers. ICCP providers need digital timestamped records that meet the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant audit requirements — paper alone is not sufficient for subsidy compliance.

Retain attendance logs for at least 12 months. Some providers keep them for three years as a safeguard against retroactive audits.

Fire Drill and Emergency Records

Idaho requires home daycare providers to conduct regular fire drills and maintain a written log of each drill. A useful fire drill log documents:

• Date and time of each drill
• Number of children present
• Evacuation time (how long it took to get everyone out)
• Any issues encountered (blocked exit, child who needed assistance, weather complications)
• Staff present during the drill

Confirm the applicable drill frequency with IdahoSTARS or your local fire district rather than assuming that a center's monthly schedule applies to a home daycare. Keep evidence of the drills required by your plan and current guidance.

Additionally, keep copies of your written emergency plan, evacuation routes posted near exits, and documentation of any actual emergency events.

Facility Documentation

Beyond child and operational records, you must keep these facility documents accessible:

• Current daycare license — must be conspicuously posted where parents can see it
• Fire inspection clearance letter — from your most recent annual fire inspection
• Health inspection report — from your most recent public health district visit
• Liability insurance certificate — showing active commercial general liability coverage
• Background check clearance letters — for yourself, all staff, and all household members age 13 and older
• CPR/First Aid certifications — current cards for all caregivers

Retention and Organization

Attendance logs are identified in the research as records to keep for at least 12 months. For other records, follow current IDAPA, IdahoSTARS, and district instructions and keep the documents available for inspection and renewal.

A simple filing system works fine — one folder per child, one binder for facility documents, one binder for operational logs. Digital backups are smart insurance but do not replace the physical records that inspectors expect to review on-site.

The Idaho Home Daycare License guide includes a 12-month compliance recordkeeping kit with printable templates for every log and tracker described here.

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