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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Lice Policy in 2018/2019
Pestle 04:52 AM 12-18-2018
Well GUESS WHAT. 
So I didn't have a lice policy in place and now I need it. At least this is happening just before the new year so it'll be easy to change directions now and send out an updated handbook for January.
Looking over old threads, everybody who sounded off had the traditional "No Nit" policy. It looks like the current trend for schools is to insist on treatment but permit the kids to return. I assumed that was because treatments are effective enough these days, but reading over the justification for this, it's not actually relevant to eradicating the lice:
These are not good reasons and I'm unimpressed and also kinda insulted on behalf of everybody involved. I told the parent last night, before I'd done the research, that I'd allow the kid back in after treatment with a CDC-recommended chemical and several thorough combings, and they responded with "We were going to use tea tree oil."
Um, no. They switched directions immediately when I said they'd have to be completely louse-free if they went the natural route, and I do trust this family, but I'd had a couple of families in the past who definitely would have lied to me and sent their child in without legitimate treatment. So now I have a reason for a no-nit policy:
I had lice once years ago, mistakenly picked up a homeopathic product from Walgreens (shame on you, Walgreens!) and couldn't figure out why it took three "treatments" to work. Answer: It didn't work; I just finally managed to comb every single nit out.
Also, man, you have to know how much to dilute tea tree oil so you don't burn the skin. That stuff does nothing but smother lice, the same as any other grease you put on your head, but with the added benefit of scorching your flesh. I should know; my grandmother got sucked into the homeopathic internet stuff when she had cancer, and she hit a cut on my arm with undiluted tea tree oil once.
Plus I read this horrible news story about a family that applied mayonnaise to their toddler's scalp, tied a plastic bag over the head like a shower cap, and woke up the next morning to find the bag had twisted and the child had asphyxiated during the night. Chemicals that work are so much better than slime that doesn't work, burns, and a dead child. 
So my point is: I was going to require parents to use a CDC-recommended pediculicide, but now that the rubber meets the road, I realize I won't be able to tell if they're lying to me about actually using it. Does everybody have a no-nit policy, or are there some who allow return to care after treatment, and if so, what are their requirements for treatment?
Edit: Thank you for your wisdom about the car seat covers! Everybody make sure your families are heat-treating their car seat covers as well as clothing and bedding.
So I didn't have a lice policy in place and now I need it. At least this is happening just before the new year so it'll be easy to change directions now and send out an updated handbook for January.
Looking over old threads, everybody who sounded off had the traditional "No Nit" policy. It looks like the current trend for schools is to insist on treatment but permit the kids to return. I assumed that was because treatments are effective enough these days, but reading over the justification for this, it's not actually relevant to eradicating the lice:
- Kids should be in school whether or not they have lice
- Nurses are too dumb to tell the difference between lice and dandruff
These are not good reasons and I'm unimpressed and also kinda insulted on behalf of everybody involved. I told the parent last night, before I'd done the research, that I'd allow the kid back in after treatment with a CDC-recommended chemical and several thorough combings, and they responded with "We were going to use tea tree oil."
Um, no. They switched directions immediately when I said they'd have to be completely louse-free if they went the natural route, and I do trust this family, but I'd had a couple of families in the past who definitely would have lied to me and sent their child in without legitimate treatment. So now I have a reason for a no-nit policy:
- People are not actually treating lice with pediculicides, so the kids are showing up to care with random products and live, healthy lice on their heads.
I had lice once years ago, mistakenly picked up a homeopathic product from Walgreens (shame on you, Walgreens!) and couldn't figure out why it took three "treatments" to work. Answer: It didn't work; I just finally managed to comb every single nit out.
Also, man, you have to know how much to dilute tea tree oil so you don't burn the skin. That stuff does nothing but smother lice, the same as any other grease you put on your head, but with the added benefit of scorching your flesh. I should know; my grandmother got sucked into the homeopathic internet stuff when she had cancer, and she hit a cut on my arm with undiluted tea tree oil once.
Plus I read this horrible news story about a family that applied mayonnaise to their toddler's scalp, tied a plastic bag over the head like a shower cap, and woke up the next morning to find the bag had twisted and the child had asphyxiated during the night. Chemicals that work are so much better than slime that doesn't work, burns, and a dead child. So my point is: I was going to require parents to use a CDC-recommended pediculicide, but now that the rubber meets the road, I realize I won't be able to tell if they're lying to me about actually using it. Does everybody have a no-nit policy, or are there some who allow return to care after treatment, and if so, what are their requirements for treatment?
Edit: Thank you for your wisdom about the car seat covers! Everybody make sure your families are heat-treating their car seat covers as well as clothing and bedding.