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Child Has Been Bitten

Purpose:
To ensure a consistent, calm, and compliant response when a child is bitten, while protecting the emotional well-being of the child, maintaining parent trust, and upholding confidentiality and supervision standards.

SITUATION

A child has been bitten by another child while in care.

This situation is emotionally charged for:

  • The bitten child

  • The parent/guardian

  • Staff involved

  • The family of the child who bit

CORE PRINCIPLES

  • Child safety comes first

  • Respond calmly and immediately

  • Treat all children with dignity

  • Maintain strict confidentiality

  • Communicate clearly, not defensively

  • Involve leadership early

STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURE

STEP 1: Immediate Child Care Response

Teacher Responsibilities

  • Separate children calmly and immediately

  • Comfort the bitten child first

  • Check skin for broken skin, swelling, or bleeding

  • Wash the area with soap and water

  • Apply first aid per health policy

  • Monitor the child closely for changes

Important:
Do not scold, shame, or discuss blame in front of children.

STEP 2: Secure the Environment

  • Ensure the biting behavior has stopped

  • Redirect the child who bit using calm language

  • Increase supervision and proximity as needed

  • Document staffing placement and supervision at the time

STEP 3: Notify Administration

  • Notify the Director or Assistant Director immediately

  • Share:

    • Time and location of incident

    • Children involved

    • First aid provided

    • Staff present

STEP 4: Documentation

Director or Assigned Staff

  • Complete an Incident Report the same day

  • Include:

    • Factual description only (no opinions)

    • Care provided

    • Follow-up plan

  • Incident reports must never include the name of the other child

STEP 5: Parent Notification – Bitten Child

Who Communicates: Director or designated administrator

When:

  • As soon as possible on the same day

  • Preferably by phone, followed by written documentation

Approved Language:
“I wanted to let you know your child was bitten today. They were comforted immediately, first aid was provided, and we are closely monitoring them. We take incidents like this seriously and are reviewing supervision and prevention steps.”

Do NOT:

  • Name the child who bit

  • Speculate

  • Apologize in a way that admits fault

STEP 6: Parent Notification – Child Who Bit

Who Communicates: Director

Approach:

  • Private, respectful, solution-focused

  • No shaming or labeling

Approved Language:
“We want to let you know your child was involved in a biting incident today. This is developmentally common at this age, and we are implementing strategies to support positive behavior.”

STEP 7: Emotional De-escalation (If Parent Is Upset)

Staff Response SOP

  • Stay calm and neutral

  • Validate feelings without agreeing to blame

  • Move conversation away from children

  • Escalate to Director if emotions rise

Approved Language:
“I understand why this feels upsetting. Our Director would like to speak with you privately so we can address your concerns fully.”

STEP 8: Follow-Up & Prevention

Director Responsibilities

  • Review supervision, triggers, and classroom dynamics

  • Implement behavior support strategies

  • Increase communication as needed

  • Monitor patterns (without labeling)

  • Provide staff coaching if required

WHAT STAFF MUST NEVER DO

  • Share the identity of the other child

  • Discuss the incident with other parents

  • Blame another child or family

  • Minimize the parent’s concern

  • Promise outcomes or consequences