• Parent Resources
• What are head lice
• Head lice facts
• How do I know if a student has head lice?
• What to do when a student in your school has head lice?
• When can a student return to school?
• Cleaning your classroom
• Related links

What are head lice (Pediculosis)?

Head lice are tiny, wingless, insects that live and breed in human hair. They move quickly when you part the hair and are hard to see. Newly-laid eggs are firmly glued to the hair and are found very close to the scalp.
 Head lice eggs:

• are very small – about half the size of a pinhead,
• grey to brown in colour
• take about 7 to 10 days to hatch

Head lice facts

• Head lice have nothing to do with lack of cleanliness – anyone can get lice
• Head lice is a nuisance, but they do not cause illness 
• Head lice is not a public health problem because lice do not transmit disease. 

How do I know if a student has head lice?

 What to look for:

• Live head lice in the hair – can be difficult to see because these greyish insects move quickly when hair is parted
• Eggs of head louse – the eggs will be pinhead in size, the colour of the scalp and glued to the hair shaft less than ½ inch away from the scalp
• Do not worry about any eggs more than ½ inch from the scalp. These are empty white shells of eggs that have hatched and are not a problem.
• An itchy scalp - but you can have head lice for a long time before the scalp gets itchy. 

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What to do when a student in your school has head lice:

 School Board Policies:

• Halton school boards have a “No Nit” policy. Schools outside of Halton region may have different policies
• Both boards have letters that can be sent to parents to assist with limiting the spread and re-infestation of head lice.
• Halton District School Board Policy:
  contact Jackie Oxley - 335-3663 Extension 3208. 
• Halton Catholic District School Board Policy:

Please do not discriminate – be sure not to judge the child or single them out

• Public Health does not provide a service for head lice checking 
• Halton schools have contracts with We Care Home Health services in the community that deals with the management of pediculosis in the school.
• We Care can be reached at (905) 507-2273 OR AT 1-866-877-8688 

When can a student return to school?

For school re-entry

• Treatment to the hair must be done and all nits removed
• Parents must contact We Care to get a note for school re-entry 
• Call We Care to find out further information We Care can be reached at (905) 507-6562 OR AT 1-855-507-6562 

Cleaning Your Classroom

• For head lice – normal routine cleaning is sufficient 
• There is no evidence that head lice are passed on through contact with personal items so no cleaning is necessary
• Pesticide sprays should never be used as they are dangerous to your health and are unnecessary. 

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Related Links

Canadian Pediatric Society 
Caring for Kids  
The Harvard School of Public Health