Why Some Schools Are Moving Away from No-Nit Policies.

Why Some Schools Are Moving Away from No-Nit Policies

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With a new school year around the corner, most parents expect to receive an abundance of paperwork from their child on the first day, outlining all school policies and protocol. But one issue that parent’s need to pay particularly close attention to is their no-nit policy of their child’s school. When a child gets lice, one of the most frequent questions we get from parents is, “Why wasn’t I notified by the school that lice were found in my child’s class?” Parents are then frustrated and confused to learn that many schools have discontinued no-nit policies.

The Evolution of School Lice Policies

In recent years, more and more schools have decided to abolish no-nit policies, whereby children with lice are required to stay out of school until they are lice and nit free. Typically, opponents of no-nit policies argue that:

  • Children with lice feel excluded and stigmatized.
  • Children miss valuable school time. Furthermore, because lice are not considered to be a serious medical threat, the burdens to families and communities from school absenteeism far outweigh the risks posed by lice.
  • While adult lice themselves are easily transferable between children, the nits (eggs) are not.
  • Misdiagnosis of lice is very common when lice checks are performed by non-medical personnel- resulting in false positives.

Common Concerns of No-Nit Policy Abolishment

In contrast, many parents are concerned by the removal of no-nit policies, citing that some school lice policies don’t even alert parents when a child’s classmate has been found with lice- essentially leaving them “in the dark” and unaware that they should be in a heightened state of vigilance in checking their child’s head for lice. For this reason, proponents of no-nit policies argue that uninfected children are safeguarded by no-nit policies, while infested children are still cared for in a sensitive manner and the result is a win-win for all children.

It’s necessary to take the time to contact your child’s school about its no-nit policy. If your child’s school has gotten rid of its no-nit policy, it may be necessary to take an even more proactive approach, regularly checking your child for lice to ensure early detection, rather than taking it for granted that you will be alerted by the school if any lice are found. No matter what side of the argument you find yourself on, it’s important to take an active approach to lice prevention and educate yourself on proper lice treatment if your child is affected with lice.

Schools Without Lice.Putting an End to Lice in Schools

We want to keep our children safe in schools across the country. Together, with the help of Lice Clinics of America, we have begun working on the Schools Without Lice program. Our goal is to completely eradicate lice in schools from California to Florida and everywhere in between. By supporting our educators, we can take another step toward creating schools without lice.

Fresh Heads Lice Removal

At Fresh Heads Lice Removal, we are committed to empowering our customers with the head lice facts they need to safely and quickly eradicate lice. Regardless of your child’s school lice policy, we’re here to help! We pride ourselves on being a lice service that your family can rely on to help you safely diagnose, treat, or prevent a full-blown lice infestation. We help you select the most effective lice treatment option so that you and your child can return to normal life as quickly as possible. If your child has lice, we’d love to help! Contact us today to learn more about our safe and affordable treatment options.

Students Raising Hands in classroom

School Head Lice Policies: Too Lenient or Too Strict?

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There appears to be a trend for some school districts to change their policies about head lice in the classroom. In an effort to keep kids in class, maintain confidentiality, and prevent misdiagnosis, school officials are leaning toward removing “no nit” policies and replacing them with more lenient policies.

There are three basic policies regarding schools and head lice. If your school district has
• a “No Nit” policy, students are not allowed to be in school if any nits are found in the hair.
• a “No Live Lice” policy, students are allowed to be in school with nits, but not with live bugs.
• a “Live Lice and Nits Allowed” policy, students are allowed to remain in school even though nits and/or live lice are found on the scalp and in the hair.

There are variations of the policies that allow school nurses or other personnel to make judgment calls based on several factors including a number of nits or live lice or the distance of nits or live lice from the scalp. There are also varying opinions regarding the need to notify parents when outbreaks occur.

Fresh Heads has a complete rundown of public school district head lice policies for North Florida, South Georgia, and South Carolina at www.freshheadsliceremoval.com/school-lice-policies/. Head lice policies for private schools vary from one school to another and are not necessarily the same as the public schools’ policy. Parental awareness of these policies, both public and private, is a critical factor in keeping your child and his or her classmate’s lice free. It is also incumbent for parents to do head lice checks on their own, no matter how strict or lenient their school’s policy is.

While not dangerous in the worst sense of the word, head lice infestations are aggravating nuisances. The more you know, the easier it is to deal with them. The professionals at Fresh Heads stay up-to-date and knowledgeable about school head lice policies. We are your go-to resource when you have questions or concerns about how your school handles head lice outbreaks.