The Lincoln Park district does not have a “no nit” policy. If a child has head lice, he or she will not be prevented from attending school.
“What if my child has head lice??
If suspected, the School Nurse will exam a student and notify the parent/guardian of head lice if it has been identified. Students may be released from school at the discretion of the parent/guardian. Education and information will be provided for the treatment and prevention of head lice to parent/guardians. Students will not be excluded from school due to head lice. The Illinois Dept. of Public Health, Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Illinois State Board of Education all support children remaining in school.
AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) offers the following guidance for treating head lice:
Head lice are often a fact of life for school aged children. While inconvenient, head lice cause no medical harm and can be effectively treated. A revised clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), “Head Lice,” published in the August print issue of Pediatrics (published online July 26, 2010), clarifies and updates protocols for diagnosis and treatment, and provides guidance for the management of children with head lice in the school setting.
Head lice are not a health hazard or a sign of poor hygiene and, in contrast to body lice, are not responsible for the spread of any disease. No healthy child should be excluded from or miss school because of head lice, and no-nit policies for return to school should be abandoned. Informed school nurses can help with diagnosis and suggestions about treatment. Because head lice are usually transmitted by head to head contact, parents should carefully check a child's head before and after attending a sleepover or camp where children share sleeping quarters.
There are many ways to treat active infestations, but not all products and techniques have been evaluated for safety and effectiveness. One percent permethrin lotion is recommended as initial treatment for most head lice infestations with a second application 7 - 10 days after the first. Parents and caregivers should make sure that any treatment chosen is safe; preferred treatments would be those which are easy to use, reasonably priced, and proven to be non-toxic. All products must be used exactly according to manufacturer's instructions. Your pediatrician can help with diagnosis, treatment choices and management of difficult cases.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.” source: SDU46
Learn your rights so that if your child contracts a case of head lice, you know what to expect from the school. To be sure that you fully eradicate head lice from your child's head, call us at LiceDoctors in the Lincoln Park area at 312-765-7266. An experienced lice technician will come to your home and we guarantee that your lice removal service will free your child of head lice and nits.