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23%
of NSW primary school children found to have lice
Nits: A Persistent Problem in Schools and Child Care
Head lice don't carry diseases, but they are a significant problem in educational and child care settings. Thousands of children get nits every year, leading to a considerable drain on time, money, and emotional well-being for families as they manage their way through screening, treatment, and prevention tasks. NSW Health's "Nit Buster" program screened a sample of primary school-aged children in NSW and found that 23% had head lice. This translates to thousands of itchy heads, distracted children, missed school days, and parents missing work to address the issue.
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The emotional toll is significant too. The stigma surrounding head lice can cause feelings of shame or embarrassment and can lead to ostracism or other forms of bullying. Parents worry about the effect on their children and that their family might be judged. Teachers are concerned about their students well being, and about themselves becoming infected, while administrative staff face increased workloads from stressed parents and additional communications.
So Why Are Current Approaches Not Working?
Young children have not yet developed a sense of personal body space and regularly huddle close together, providing ideal conditions for lice to spread. When head lice are discovered, families often act in isolation, treating the affected child but rarely conducting comprehensive contact tracing. Delays in notifying the school and then the school notifying the wider class, mean treatment of contacts is out of sync; newly treated children mix back with those yet to be treated, leading to a continuous cycle of reinfestation.
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We do not build immunity to lice infections, there is no residual effect from the lice treatments, and there are no clinically proven prevention methods.
​The only way to eliminate lice and nits in schools or child care is through a coordinated community screening intervention that concludes with the synchronised treatment of those infected.
Obstacles to Community-based Lice Management
Fake News, Myths, and Misinformation
Myths and misinformation about head lice in general are widespread—especially online. Misleading claims, such as the existence of so-called "Super Lice" resistant to all available treatments, or the need to deep-clean to prevent reinfestation, create unnecessary anxiety and unrealistic perceptions. These misconceptions divert attention from the effective methods for eliminating lice and hinder efforts to control outbreaks.
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WE NEED to EDUCATE
Communities must be able to easily access evidence based information to ensure everyone knows the effective steps they need to take to control the spread of lice. ​
Stigma-Induced "Code of Silence"
The stigma associated with having head lice is still strong. While most people understand that lice can happen to anyone, there is a persistent fear of being judged if an infestation is disclosed. This silence is the lice's "superpower," as it prevents open communication and timely action. Without simultaneous treatment of all those infected, those treated one day can be re-infested by others not yet treated.
COMMUNICATION is KEY
Normalising the conversation through education and regular communication helps break the stigma associated with lice and nits, and encourage open communication and a proactive approach to managing community infestations.
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Outbreak Apathy
When a community has an ongoing problem with lice even the most vigilant can become apathetic. Lice alerts are often ignored—not out of neglect, but because repeated head checks, yielding no lice, make the risk seem minimal. Families dealing with recurring infestations may also feel overwhelmed by the constant cycle of screening, treating, and combing, leading them to simply want a break from it all.
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COORDINATE to MOTIVATE
An engaged and motivated community is key to eliminating lice. Having a clear plan in place that synchronises screening and treatment, reduces the overall effort of the community. It prepares everyone so they know exactly what to do, when to do it, and how to do it right first time.
Introducing.......
A Comprehensive, Community-Based Approach to Head Lice Control
Nit Patrol builds on the principles of NSW Health’s "Nit Buster" Program by empowering communities to manage head lice collectively. We provide essential tools, educational resources, and expert support that go far beyond the scope of the Nit Buster Program, including:
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Education delivered in multiple formats
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Communication tools that stimulate conversation and reduce stigma
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Implementation of coordinated screening interventions for classes, year groups, or entire schools
With our "in-a-box" tools and expert consultation, Nit Patrol offers a fully supported, coordinated community lice-control strategy that requires minimal involvement from staff or parent volunteers (although their help is always welcome!).
Nit Patrol Tools:
EDUCATE
Our education tools make it easy for the community to access the latest evidence-based information on lice behavior, screening, treatment, and prevention. This ensures that everyone is equipped with the knowledge they need to address lice effectively. We offer both standard and customisable options, including:
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Kindy Presentations for new parents
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Staff Training to empower teachers and administrative staff
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Parent Presentations/Workshops on lice management best practices
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Fact Sheets with quick, accurate guidance on lice control
COMMUNICATE
Open, ongoing conversation is crucial for reducing stigma. Our communication tools are designed to encourage discussions around lice and normalize the topic within the community:
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Comms Series: Bite-sized content for newsletters or social media, keeping head lice awareness top of mind
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Program Communications: Updates on Nit Patrol objectives and strategies
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Results Sharing: Survey outcomes addressing stigma, community knowledge, screening practices, and program feedback
COORDINATE
Once the community has been educated and aligned on strategy, a coordinated screening and treatment intervention can be implemented to break the cycle of reinfestation and move towards zero lice:
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Class or Year Group Interventions: Screening or screen-and-treat days
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Whole-School In-School Screening: Coordinated checks within the school setting
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Whole-School At-Home Interventions: Instructions and support for coordinated at-home screenings
MOTIVATE
Sustaining community engagement is essential for long-term success. We offer a variety of tools to keep lice control efforts top of mind:
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Community Q&A Sessions: Answering parent and staff questions
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Class Parent or P&F Information Sessions: Presenting program goals, opportunities/requests for participation, and results
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Ongoing Communications (as listed in COMMUNICATION above) to keep lice management visible and engaging
SUPPORT
We’re here to support the community every step of the way, making lice control manageable and less daunting:
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Head Lice Helpline: Direct access to a lice expert for guidance
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Step-by-Step Instruction Sheets: Clear, accessible instructions for parents and staff
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Online Information Sessions: Virtual community meetings to answer questions and provide updates
MONITOR
Tracking progress toward a lice-free environment is crucial. Nit Patrol includes tools to monitor and evaluate the program’s effectiveness:
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Infection Rate Monitoring: Regular assessments are conducted at coordinated interventions
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Community Surveys: Gathering feedback on stigma, community knowledge, screening and treatment practices, and overall program impact
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Call us for an obligation free discussion on the possibilities for your community
Nit Patrol Program
Workshops & Presentations for Parents & Staff
Educate and normalise the conversation around head lice
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15min -1hr Presentation
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​Customised content to suit your situation
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Biology, life cycle, treatment options, prevention etc​
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- ​Q&A
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Suitable for:
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parent education e.g., item in Kindy orientation program or class parent functions
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Staff training
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In-person or on-line
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Nit Patrol Program
Head Lice Barometer Survey
Many cases of head lice go unreported to administration; The Head Lice Barometer is designed to uncover what is really going on, so meaningful, community specific objectives can be set for your school or child care centre
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What is the Head Lice Barometer?
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On-line anonymous survey for parents, carers and staff.
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It quantifies the size of the problem.
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It quantifies the impact on parents and staff and gauges the community sentiment to the problem.
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It measure the current knowledge base on lice biology and behavior as well as treatment and prevention practices.
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Anonymity encourages participation and more accurate answers
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Findings are used to develop community specific education and management objectives.
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Results can be used as a benchmark to monitor progress over time
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Data can be bench-marked to de-identified, aggregated data from other participating communities.
Nit Patrol Program
Coordinated At-Home Screening
Break the re-infestation cycle with a coordinated attack
This tool has elements of the NSW Health Nit Buster Program in that a whole school or class "screen and treat" is implemented. It is made more practical by being done at home by parents rather than at school by volunteers. It includes:
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Co-ordination of a weekend screen and treat activity for the whole school, year groups or classes
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Step-by-step instructions for screening and head lice and nit removal
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Customised communications program to promote and coordinate the event
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Follow-up survey to collect results
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Event report summary suitable for publishing to community
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Minimal school resource required to implement.
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Nit Patrol Program
Head Lice Help-Line
Support for your community to get expert advice when they need it
This tool includes:
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Direct access to Lousy Solutions help-line or email for parents and staff
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Individual advice / support on:
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correct screening method,
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nit removal techniques,
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choosing a treatment,
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lice biology and behavior
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persistent infestations
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etc.
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Can be accessed as a once off during an outbreak or all year round
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Review From School Parent
"Aside from her knowledge and empathy as a parent having dealt with infestations, Yola is a true professional in setting up a system for your school or childcare. I was a parent volunteer in the first school she implemented a head lice control program and its success was matched with how easy it was for other parents, teachers and management to interact with Yola"
Google Review 2023
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