Headlice Policy

Headlice is an endemic reality throughout Alberta, and unchecked, the camp could be an ideal place for it to spread. At Ross Haven Bible Camp we are committed to maintaining a zero percent transmission rate even if campers arrive with headlice.

In order to prevent the spread of lice, everyone at camp gets a quick head check upon arrival. As long as your child does not have any lice or nits (lice eggs), all is well! If he or she does have lice, there are procedures that we need to follow to ensure that no lice are spread from one camper to another here at RHBC. Please check your child’s head at home before coming to camp, and treat as necessary.

There is a “No Nit Policy” here at RHBC. Nits are the tiny whitish eggs laid by the louse. It is difficult for camp staff to tell whether a nit is alive or not, so if we find nits, we will need to treat your child. If you know that your child has lice, or has had lice recently, please do your best to pick all nits out of his or her head before arriving at camp, and please notify us even before head checks. This helps us assess the situation in a more discreet and dignified way.

When a camper is found to have lice, that camper and their belongings are removed to a house on camp where they will be treated. At this point in the registration process, parents should still be with their campers and will be apprised of their options, and all procedures required by our protocols. If, for any reason, the parents have left camp when the lice are discovered, a phone call will be made to inform them of the lice treatment. In the event that lice are found you will have the option of withdrawing your camper with a partial refund, taking them home for treatment and returning later in the week once they are clear, or rescheduling for a later week if spaces are available. There is an excellent lice removal business in Edmonton that offers a 30 day live free guarantee. They should cost less than $200. Lastly, as long as staff resources are available, we may offer to treat your camper onsite, and then integrate them into the program.

Our treatment regime is as follows:

• All washable items will be laundered. Male campers are treated with Resultz lice shampoo or an enzyme based product which dissolves nits and the glue which holds them to the hair shaft. Then they are given a very short haircut. This process is fairly fast, and your camper should be back in his cabin by that evening.
• If your camper is female, the process is longer. RHBC staff will launder her belongings and treat her head with Resultz, or an enzyme based product. But then, instead of giving her a buzz cut, we start the laborious process of nitpicking. Depending on the length of your daughter’s hair, the texture of her hair, her level of infestation, and her behaviour, this process can take anywhere from two to twelve hours. Until the process is complete, your daughter will remain in the Cedar House on camp. There are supervised sleeping accommodations there. She will have entertainment to keep her occupied during this lengthy process and staff to keep her company at all times. Although we do our best, nits are very small, and there is a possibility we will miss some. For this reason, we braid the hair of girls who have received lice treatment and ask them to keep their hair in braids for the remainder of the week, so that if there is any residual risk of spreading lice to another camper it is minimized as much as possible. We have a very strong set of hygiene and ergonomic protocols in our cabins and we always make a tea tree oil hair spritzer available to all campers and staff to use prophylactically to prevent any chance of transmission whether or not we know of any potential risk. We are committed to maintaining a zero percent transmission rate.
• Once the lice removal process is complete, your camper will be returned to her cabin. He or she will be treated as a late-arriving camper, and no one needs to know that lice treatment has occurred.
• RHBC staff members are always on the lookout for effective, quick treatments for lice. Given that our first interest is in keeping lice from spreading to anyone else at camp, we need to be thorough, fast, and efficient. This process is the surest one we have found to date that fulfills these requirements while also being affordable and preserving the dignity of your camper.
• If you were to receive this treatment by a professional nitpicker, you can pay about $90-$200 per hour. The Lice Crew in Edmonton are the least expensive we have found. If your camper receives off site treatment, all of their luggage still needs to be hot laundered. Our experienced staff generally delivers this service to you for free. However, it is a long and arduous process for our staff, and so there are certain instances in which we will charge you a very nominal fee for lice removal. If a child is uncooperative, you will be charged at least $25. In cases of extreme uncooperativeness, the child will be sent home. If your child has received a free lice treatment at RHBC in the past, you will be charged $25 per hour for treatment.

Our goal is to provide a happy, lice-free week for every camper. Thank you for your cooperation with these protocols.