Did you know 1 in 4 school-aged children has a vision problem? At the start of another school year, making sure children’s eyes are ready to see and learn in the classroom is critical to their success. Many parents across NC remain in the dark about this hugely important issue, often allowing preventable problems to escalate until they seem insurmountable. Vision problems are frequenctly silent, without any signs for children, their parents or teachers to notice. The implications of inaction are lifelong impacting childhood development & learning in young children through adolescence.
Fortunately, together we can make sure they are vision ready for school and beyond. Prevent Blindness North Carolina’s Children’s Vision Screening Improvement Program helps school districts and pediatric primary care providers obtain the training needed to screen school age children each year. For patients and families that are unsure of the medical system, schools and primary care clinics can be a place they trust, where people already know them. After PBNC screenings, school nurses and providers assist parents of referred children in financial need in applying for a PBNC voucher for eye exams and glasses.
School nurses from across the state recently provided input on the impact of PBNC’s Children’s Vision Screening Improvement Program:
“We could not do the number of mass screenings that we do without PBNC training our HOSA students. This helps us to conduct mass screenings for students in grades K-8th in 3 different schools in a very timely and efficient manner.” – Clay County School Nurse
“Prevent Blindness NC has equipped the school nurses in Lenoir County with the necessary knowledge to screen students effectively and efficiently and to know what necessitates a referral to the eye doctor. In addition, PBNC has provided us with vouchers that have been used many times to help a student in need obtain an eye doctor appointment and glasses. Without this training/resources, there is no way we would have been as successful as we have been.” – Lenoir County School Nurse
“So glad to have your expertise available to us and we are thankful you can offer us training every year. Working together we are better able to serve the students of Person County! You are a valued community member.” – Person County School Nurse
Whether you are a parent or caregiver, school nurse, or an educator we all play an integral part in a child’s vision health and their success inside and outside the classroom. To ensure their eyes and vision health are ready, please reference the following resources:
Vision Screening Resources for Children Vision Health Partners
- Vision Screening Training for School Staff and Volunteers
- Online Vision Screening Training for Pediatric Primary Care
- Financial Resources for Youth
Parents/Caregivers
- Children’s Vision Digital Screen Tips
- 10 Take-Home Messages for the Parent / Caregiver – English | Spanish
- 10 Small Steps From Vision Screening to the Eye Exam and Possible Treatment – English | Spanish
- How to Schedule an Eye Exam – English | Spanish
- Signs of Possible Vision Problems in Children – English | Spanish
- Medicaid Vision Benefits Summary – English | Spanish