Calling all parents of Saskatchewan school aged children! Thursday night my daughter came to me all itchy...sure enough, she had lice and as it turns out so do my son and I.

This is our second bout of lice in their short school career. Any parent with school aged children is likely familiar with that notice that comes home...the one that makes you scratch your head, literally. Lice in the classroom.

ARE YOU AWARE that a few years ago the Board of Health decided that too many children were missing too much school because of head lice. They changed the policy to force teachers to keep children with live lice in the classrooms. They have determined that lice is not a communicable disease but rather just an inconvenience. Lice has now become an epidemic that can't be stopped, and an expense that parents can't afford. The expense aside, the exhaustive laundry and combing that needs to be done, which I might add, the secretary to the Minister of Health told me was just a myth. "You don't really have to do all that work" she said. "Maybe just wash their pillow cases and for sure do the treatment but it's not as bad as they say." When I asked if she'd ever had lice or a child with lice her response was "Well...no."

This is not the children's fault. It is the result of parents who are not taking the proper steps to clear their children and continually sending them to school with the infestation. Those of us who do go through the proper steps to treat our children and rid our homes can not win but for the few who cannot be bothered.

This petition is demanding that the Board Of Health reverse the decision and allow children with LIVE LICE to be sent home to be treated and not allowed to return until they no longer have live lice in their hair. The parents/caregivers must be held responsible so that the cycle of infestation can be broken.

If you are a parent/caregiver who is tired of having your child/ren come home with lice please sign this petition and force the Board of Health to reverse this ridiculous policy.

Best regards,

Erin Neufeld

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan