Lice policy

[Anonymous]

Does dcps have an official lice policy? It keeps going around my kids class. We have been super lucky that he hasn't gotten it.

[Anonymous]

It's OK, I'm sure the school nurse can help tamp that down before it spreads too far. That is, if there is a nurse at school that day.

[Anonymous]

It's on the Stoddert website: http://www.stoddert.org/2015/12/10/reminder-about-dcps-lice-policy/

Also, the relevant DC regs (changed in 2014) are here: http://www.dcregs.dc.gov/Notice/DownLoad.aspx?VersionID=4375687

Can't exclude kids from school based on nits--a policy that's in line with American Academy of Pediatrics and CDC recommendations.

[Anonymous]

Comb weekly. Don't be unnecessarily angry. This too shall pass.

[Anonymous]

The DCPS policy allows the child to remain in school. Might be why the infestation continues. Our school asks the parent to come up and take the child home.

[Anonymous]

Op here- not angry just grossed out. Can't believe the kids don't have to go home and be checked before they can come back.

[Anonymous]

At my school if the kid has bugs jumping around they must go home to be treated but then can be returned that day after treatment. A child with just nits (the eggs) can remain in school.

[Anonymous]

The official lice policy: DCPS does not agree with lice and would prefer you keep them home.

[Anonymous]

it's easy to draw a hard line in your head if you haven't had to deal with it... It's not like anyone 'want's lice and you can do all the treatments (recommended ones, toxic ones, experimental ones) and comb your arm off... and then a few weeks later get hit again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here- not angry just grossed out. Can't believe the kids don't have to go home and be checked before they can come back.

We were told that the official policy is that if a family self-reports, the child must be cleared by the school nurse before going back to school. Also that it would be helpful to bring the treatment we used to show the nurse. Lice was going around DD's class this fall. The school sent home flyers reminding parents to check their kids and saying that there had been cases of lice in DD's grade. When DD had lice, I shampooed and combed and then shampooed and combed again a week later per the instructions. Two weeks after the first case (after being clean for two weeks), she had them again, so I strongly suspect that the other parents were not checking/treating/reporting. I was told that DCPS cannot do any more than that. That even if there is a case reported in one class/grade, they couldn't proactively check the whole class. I understand not checking the whole school, but I think that not checking the class makes little sense. I don't think very highly of our school nurse, and strongly suspect that not checking is mostly him being lazy, rather than an official prohibition.

[Anonymous]

Our principal said nurses aren't doing checks anymore and they are relying on parents to report and be vigilant. Sounds like all schools aren't following the same rules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our principal said nurses aren't doing checks anymore and they are relying on parents to report and be vigilant. Sounds like all schools aren't following the same rules.

It was explained to me that the school nurses are not required to check for lice. It is not part of their contract responsibilities. Some of them will still do it. That may be where the inconsistency comes in. It is less about the school's desires and more about the nurse (who is not a school employee, but rather a contractor through the Dept of Health).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here- not angry just grossed out. Can't believe the kids don't have to go home and be checked before they can come back.

We were told that the official policy is that if a family self-reports, the child must be cleared by the school nurse before going back to school. Also that it would be helpful to bring the treatment we used to show the nurse. Lice was going around DD's class this fall. The school sent home flyers reminding parents to check their kids and saying that there had been cases of lice in DD's grade. When DD had lice, I shampooed and combed and then shampooed and combed again a week later per the instructions. Two weeks after the first case (after being clean for two weeks), she had them again, so I strongly suspect that the other parents were not checking/treating/reporting. I was told that DCPS cannot do any more than that. That even if there is a case reported in one class/grade, they couldn't proactively check the whole class. I understand not checking the whole school, but I think that not checking the class makes little sense. I don't think very highly of our school nurse, and strongly suspect that not checking is mostly him being lazy, rather than an official prohibition.

The problem with the instructions going around is that you only need to shampoo and comb out twice. If there are some left over nits after the first week, they will hatch the second week. It's important to nit comb 3 days in a row, one week later, and then again on week two. OTC Shampoos do not work. Combing the hair and then keeping your child'a hair up or very cut short is key to prevention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here- not angry just grossed out. Can't believe the kids don't have to go home and be checked before they can come back.

We were told that the official policy is that if a family self-reports, the child must be cleared by the school nurse before going back to school. Also that it would be helpful to bring the treatment we used to show the nurse. Lice was going around DD's class this fall. The school sent home flyers reminding parents to check their kids and saying that there had been cases of lice in DD's grade. When DD had lice, I shampooed and combed and then shampooed and combed again a week later per the instructions. Two weeks after the first case (after being clean for two weeks), she had them again, so I strongly suspect that the other parents were not checking/treating/reporting. I was told that DCPS cannot do any more than that. That even if there is a case reported in one class/grade, they couldn't proactively check the whole class. I understand not checking the whole school, but I think that not checking the class makes little sense. I don't think very highly of our school nurse, and strongly suspect that not checking is mostly him being lazy, rather than an official prohibition.

The problem with the instructions going around is that you only need to shampoo and comb out twice. If there are some left over nits after the first week, they will hatch the second week. It's important to nit comb 3 days in a row, one week later, and then again on week two. OTC Shampoos do not work. Combing the hair and then keeping your child'a hair up or very cut short is key to prevention.

I don't know why you think that the OTC shampoos do not work. I used them on my DD's straight blonde hair when I found live, adult lice crawling around. After the shampoo, they were not crawling and we combed them out with the metal comb. The shampoo works. It just doesn't work 100% and that's why combing is also necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here- not angry just grossed out. Can't believe the kids don't have to go home and be checked before they can come back.

We were told that the official policy is that if a family self-reports, the child must be cleared by the school nurse before going back to school. Also that it would be helpful to bring the treatment we used to show the nurse. Lice was going around DD's class this fall. The school sent home flyers reminding parents to check their kids and saying that there had been cases of lice in DD's grade. When DD had lice, I shampooed and combed and then shampooed and combed again a week later per the instructions. Two weeks after the first case (after being clean for two weeks), she had them again, so I strongly suspect that the other parents were not checking/treating/reporting. I was told that DCPS cannot do any more than that. That even if there is a case reported in one class/grade, they couldn't proactively check the whole class. I understand not checking the whole school, but I think that not checking the class makes little sense. I don't think very highly of our school nurse, and strongly suspect that not checking is mostly him being lazy, rather than an official prohibition.

If they reappeared two weeks later, it is most likely because you stopped combing and there were still eggs. Once you get them, you must comb every other day for several weeks. Don't blame others for your mistakes.