News

There are over 375,000 children living in Missouri who are under the age of 5. With as much as 80 percent of learning occurring through the eyes, organizations across Missouri and the country strive to prevent vision problems in young children to help them succeed in school.

KidSight and the Delta Gamma Center for Visual Impairments partnered to host a Missouri Vision Professional Conference on June 28, 2016 at the Delta Gamma Center in St. Louis as a professional development and networking opportunity for organizations working to prevent the heartbreak of vision loss in children.

Lions Billy and Janice Bonnot embody the call to be knights of the blind through their dedicated volunteerism. The Bonnots are members of the Jefferson City Host Lions and have been avid supporters and volunteers of KidSight and Saving Sight’s Eyeglass Recycling Program for more than ten years.

“For people to get involved I think they need to see a screening, visit Saving Sight and have a good mentor. When you get that good start you get that encouragement and passion to carry on,” said Billy.

The Bonnots have helped with KidSight vision screenings at schools and daycares in the Jefferson City area since Janice joined the Lions in 1999. “We think KidSight is such an important program because we do screenings for children 6 months to 6 years and kids learn so much during that timeframe – part of learning is being able to see well,” said Janice.

Florissant resident and St. Charles Lions Club member Becky Henderson screened the vision of her 50,000^th child today as a volunteer with the KidSight vision screening program. The milestone occurred at a screening Henderson conducted at Mercy Child Development Center and is just one of hundreds she has conducted over her near 16-year career as a volunteer with nonprofit Saving Sight’s KidSight vision screening program.

KidSight identifies children from 6 months to 6 years at high risk for amblyopia (lazy eye) and other vision problems. By identifying at risk children and encouraging immediate, follow-up eye care, the KidSight program helps prevent permanent vision loss. Healthy vision is especially important in ensuring children are prepared for school where as much as 80% of learning occurs through the eyes.   

August is the time of year parents are preparing their children to return to school. When 80% of learning occurs through the eyes, healthy vision is essential to success in the classroom. So in addition to buying school supplies and new clothes, parents should also make sure their children start the school year off with the vision they need to succeed. Eye doctors recommend that children receive an eye exam before starting grade school. Children with vision or learning problems should get exams earlier.

Regular eye exams can help make sure your child has healthy vision. The American Optometric Association recommends that children receive full, dilated eye exams from an eye doctor at 6 months, 3 years, 5 years (or just before school), and every 2 years thereafter. To find an eye doctor near you, try this search tool.

KidSight can also help identify vision problems through free KidSight vision screenings. Children identified at screenings as high-risk for vision loss will be referred to an eye doctor for a full, dilated eye exam.