Can my child go to daycare with head lice?
Yes: no Texas or California rule keeps a child with head lice out of daycare, and the American Academy of Pediatrics discourages “no-nit” policies, though a center’s own policy can be stricter. Treatment can wait until the end of the day, and the child goes back the next day. What the center must do is tell parents: Texas requires a written notice within 48 hours, and in California an outbreak of two or more children must be reported to Licensing, the local health officer and parents.
Updated Oct 16, 2026. State rules and national guidance, not medical advice: if you’re unsure, call your child’s doctor.
Return to daycare: Texas, national (AAP) and California rules
| Texas centers | National standard (AAP) | California centers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stay home? | No state rule; the center’s own policy may differ. | No; treatment can wait until the end of the day. | No. State health guidance says children shouldn’t be kept out of class for lice, and UCSF’s child care program says not to send them home early. |
| Back when | Not applicable. | The next day, once treatment has started. Nits alone don’t keep a child out. | The next day, after treatment. |
| Doctor’s note | Not by the rule. A child a doctor diagnosed may need documentation that they’re no longer contagious. | No. | No. |
Texas: DSHS chart (rev. 2024); §746.307(e). National: AAP quick-reference sheet. California: CDPH head lice guidance (Dec 2022); UCSF CCHP (Dec 2025); 22 CCR §101212(g). A Texas child sent home sick may also come back after 24 hours without symptoms or with a health professional’s statement (§746.3606). California leaves illness rules to each center’s written policy; its column is the state health department’s guidance.
How it spreads and how long it’s contagious
- Lice spread mostly by head-to-head contact, less often through shared combs, brushes, hats or towels. They crawl; they can’t hop or fly, and pets don’t spread them.
- Lice don’t carry disease. Itching is the main symptom, and lice are most common in preschool and elementary-age children.
- Adult lice die within 1 to 2 days off the head. Check everyone in the household every 2 to 3 days after lice are found.
Sources: CDC: head lice; CDC: treatment.
When to call the doctor
- Sores, crusting or swollen glands from scratching, which can mean a skin infection
Sources: AAP; CDC. Call 911 if your child is struggling to breathe, turns blue or is hard to wake.
What the center has to do
In Texas, a center must give the parents of every child in the group written notice within 48 hours of an outbreak of lice or another infestation, posted where parents will see it or sent home (§746.307(e)). In California, an outbreak involving two or more children, head lice included, goes to the local health officer (22 CCR §101212), though the state health department advises against notices to a whole classroom.
Beyond that, both states have general rules on sending sick children home and on telling Licensing and parents about outbreaks, and a center’s own written illness policy can be stricter: ask for it at enrollment. The Texas and California rules →
What the state records show
Texas has cited 5 licensed centers 5 times since October 2021 for not giving parents the required written notice of a lice outbreak (26 TAC §746.307(e)).
California has cited 11 licensed centers 11 times since February 2021 under its outbreak-reporting rule (22 CCR §101212) in findings that name head lice.
Since February 2021, California has investigated 19 complaints whose allegations mention head lice, and substantiated 6.
From Texas and California inspection, complaint and investigation records for centers licensed today; Texas counts are citations under the sick-child and parent-notice rules whose inspector notes name head lice. See all sick-child citations in the sick-day guide.
Common questions
Can a daycare send my child home for lice?
A center can set its own policy, but neither Texas nor California requires it. The AAP says treatment can wait until the end of the day and discourages no-nit policies; California’s health department advises against keeping children out of class for lice, and UCSF’s child care program says not to send them home early. Treat that evening and the child can go back the next day.
Does the daycare have to tell other parents about lice?
In Texas, yes: a center must give parents of every child in the group written notice within 48 hours of a lice outbreak, posted or sent home (26 TAC §746.307(e)). In California, a center must report an outbreak of two or more children to Licensing, the local health officer and parents (22 CCR §101212), though the state health department advises against lice notices to a whole classroom.
What is a no-nit policy?
A rule that a child must be free of nits (lice eggs) before returning. The AAP and CDC discourage them: nits alone don’t need treatment, and the policies keep children out without stopping outbreaks.