BFCCPS has adopted the widely recommended and commonly accepted practice of a non-exclusion approach to live head lice and nits.  The goal of this change is to reduce lost classroom education time for the child who has lice, and for the their classmates during screenings, as it is not a health risk to themselves or others.  

The School Nurses want to take this opportunity to let you know what we will do in the case of head lice at school and what you, as parents/guardians, will be expected to do should your child have head lice.

1. ASSESS 

1. Check any child complaining of itching of the scalp or neck, who has had a known exposure to head lice, and/or as requested by the student's parent/guardian or teacher for the presence of head lice.

2. Check any student's sibling attending BFCCPS when a student is noted to have head lice.

2. COMMUNICATE

1. Will maintain student confidentiality.

2. Make every effort  to contact the student's parent/guardian before the end of the school day if live lice or nits are found.  The student will not be excluded from school due to the presence of live lice or nits, and may go home at the regular dismissal time, via the student's regular mode of transportation.  

3. Will make information about identification and treatment of lice available to the student's parent(s)/guardian(s) including encouraging them to contact the student's pediatrician for treatment recommendations. 

4. Will communicate with families of the affected grade of the presence of lice in that grade, encouraging monitoring of children at home for lice.

3. CARE

1. Provide information / serve as a resource to parents/guardians on an ongoing and as-needed basis regarding identification, treatment, and transmission of head lice.

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1. Routinely check child for head lice and presence of nits, once a week is recommended.

2.COMMUNICATE

1. Consult with your child's pediatrician or primary care provider regarding concerns or suspicions about head lice as needed.

2. Inform the School Nurse if your child is diagnosed with head lice.

3. Inform School Nurses if unsure, suspicious, or certain of presence of head lice.

3. CARE

1. Follow recommendations for treating head lice as prescribed by your pediatrician.

2. Discuss treatment options and any questions/concerns with your School Nurse.

"Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association of School Nurses advocate that 'no-nit' policies should be abandoned. Head lice are not a health hazard or a sign of poor hygiene and are not responsible for the spread of any disease. No healthy child should be excluded from or miss school because of head lice."