Head Lice in Schools
Anyone can get head lice. It has nothing to do with whether you have clean or dirty hair, or the cleanliness of your home.
Head lice are spread mainly by head-to-head contact. They can spread at school and during after school activities. This can be a frustrating year-long problem unless we have everyone's co-operation to eliminate the lice properly.
Head Lice Information (Recorded Message)
905-688-8248, ext 7371
Roles & Responsiblities for Controlling Head Lice
Parents/caregivers, school staff, students and public health nurses all have a part to play in controlling this ongoing problem.
Principal's Role
- Establish a plan for dealing with head lice which includes:
- Providing head lice information in newsletters
- A staff person who will contact the parent/caregiver when their child is found to have head lice to arrange for the child to go home and get treatment as soon as possible
- A Head Lice Alert note sent home with classmates of the student who has lice to encourage parents/caregivers to do a head lice check
- A trained person available to check students for head lice before they go back to class (when they return after head lice treatment)
- Possibly, a trained volunteer team to check students for head lice
Download the Head lice Guidelines for Schools
Download the Recommended School Action Plan
Teacher's Role
- Watch for symptoms of head lice
- Have a trained person check a student if head lice is suspected
- Send home a Head Lice Alert note with classmates of a student who has head lice so families will be encouraged to do head lice checks
- Actively promote practices that will prevent the spread of head lice e.g. no sharing hats, combs, brushes
- Possibly have someone speak to the class to educate them about head lice
Download the Facts of Lice
Download the Headlice Guidelines for Schools
Student's Role
- Co-operate with the person doing the head lice treatment and removing the eggs
- Avoid head-to-head contact with others
- Comb hair frequently with a fine tooth comb to help in removing lice and eggs
Parents/Caregiver's Role
- Become educated about head lice, know:
- The symptoms
- How to check for and identify head lice and their eggs
- How to use treatments to break the lifecycle of the head lice so you get rid of lice completely
- The precautions which require the advice of doctor or pharmacist
- How to prevent the spread of head lice to others
- Check your child's head every week for head lice if you find head lice, tell the school
- Respond quickly to bring your child home if school staff contacts you to tell you that your child has head lice. (If you have already used a head lice product in the days before the school called, speak to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist about what to do next)
- Get rid of head lice
- Check everyone living with your child to see if they have head lice
- Buy products from your pharmacy and treat as soon as possible, carefully following the directions. Treat everyone who has head lice on the same day. Check with the doctor or pharmacist first about what to use if the person needing treatment or doing the treatment is pregnant, is breastfeeding, is under the age of 2, has allergies or seizure disorder. A second treatment may be recommended 7-10 days later. New reliable products are available for those who do not want to use traditional insecticides. You may want to use the Wet Combing Method.
- Continue to work at removing lice and eggs until everyone in the home is completely rid of them
- Tell people at any place your child could have been in head-to-head contact with others e.g. relatives, babysitters, so they can check for lice
- Clean your home - vaccum carpets, furniture, care seats. Sprays are not necessary.
- Wash clothes, towels, bedding used in the last 3 days
- Bring your child back to school after treatment. If head lice are found during the head check before they go back to class, be prepared to have your child return home for further lice removal.
- Teach your child how to reduce their chances of getting head lice e.g. no sharing hats, combs, brushes
- Learn about lice
Download the Facts of Lice
Public Health Nurse's Role
- Education and consultation for school staff, parents/caregivers, students
- Assistance, when at the school, in identifying or confirming head lice, meeting with parents/caregivers to help resolve head lice problems
- At principal's request, training volunteers who will do head lice checks at the school
