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357 | P a g e FFY 2025–2027 CCDF State Plan

This aggregate information on serious injuries and deaths must be separated by category of care (e.g., centers, family child care homes, and in-home care) and licensing status (i.e., licensed or license-exempt) for all eligible CCDF child care providers in the State/Territory. The information on instances of substantiated child abuse does not have to be organized by category of care or licensing status. Information must also include the total number of children in care by provider type and licensing status, so that families can better understand the data presented on serious injuries, deaths, and substantiated cases of abuse. a. Certify by checking below that the required elements are included in the Aggregate Data Report on serious incident data that have occurred in child care settings each year. i. [x] The total number of serious injuries of children in care by provider category and licensing status. ii. [x] The total number of deaths of children in care by provider category and licensing status. iii. [x] The total number of substantiated instances of child abuse in child care settings. iv. [x] The total number of children in care by provider category and licensing status. v. If any of the above elements are not included, describe: b. Certify by providing: i. The designated entity to which child care providers must submit reports of any serious injuries or deaths of children occurring in child care and describe how the Lead Agency obtains the aggregate data from the entity: All programs submit incidents of serious injuries or deaths to the Child Care Services division within the Lead Agency through their individual DECAL KOALA account under the Required Reporting section. If a program is unable to submit the incident through their individual DECAL KOALA account, the report may be submitted to their assigned regional consultant or exemption specialist or by calling the Child Care Services division at 404-657-5562 or emailing Childcareservices@decal.ga.gov. A licensing representative will then enter the incident into the KOALA database. ii. The definition of “substantiated child abuse” used by the Lead Agency for this requirement: The Lead Agency cannot legally determine if child abuse is substantiated. The agency in Georgia that determines if child abuse is substantiated is the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS). DFCS is bound by O.C.G.A. 19-15-1, which defines child abuse as (A) Physical injury or death inflicted upon a child by a parent or caretaker thereof by other than accidental means; provided, however, that physical forms of discipline may be used as long as there is no physical injury to the child; (B) Neglect or exploitation of a child by a parent or caretaker thereof; (C) Sexual abuse of a child; or (D) Sexual exploitation of a child. If DFCS has determined under the law that child abuse has occurred, then the Lead Agency may use such a determination in its findings. iii. The definition of “serious injury” used by the Lead Agency for this requirement: The Lead Agency’s definition of serious injury is defined for all program types as: A death or an incident requiring hospitalization or professional medical attention other than first aid of a child while in the care of the provider that was the result