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LeeAnn Barrett, O.D.
Interim Executive Director
Missouri Optometric Association
100 E. High Street
Suite 301
Jefferson City, MO
65101
P: 573/635-6151
F: 573/635-7989
info@moeyecare.org
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MOA works to protect the eyesight of our children.
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Missouri is only the second state to sign Children's Vision legislation into law. We want to thank all the lawmakers who supported this important step forward for Missouri's children.
This legislation mandates that every child enrolling in kindergarten next fall be required to have at least one vision exam by a state licensed eye care professional, no later than January 1 following his or her enrollment in school.
If you have questions about Missouri's Children's Vision Law, please download the information below or contact you local optometrist.
MOA and its members also support InfantSEE™, a public health program designed to ensure that eye and vision care becomes an integral part of infant wellness care to improve a child's quality of life.
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Did you know...
- According to the National Parent Teacher Association, 10 million children suffer from vision problems. Vision disorders are the leading cause of handicapping conditions in children.
- Many studies have demonstrated that more than 70% of juvenile offenders had undiagnosed vision problems
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- Amblyopia (lazy eye) affects 75,000 children in the U.S. by age 3 and about 5% of children nationwide are afflicted. Amblyopia is completely treatable and preventable, but unfortunately it remains the leading cause of vision loss in Americans under 40.
- According to the Vision Council of America, approximately 80% of all learning during a child’s first 12 years is obtained through the eyes, yet 86% of children do not receive a vision exam during that time.
- More than 50% of children identified during vision screenings as needing professional eye and vision care do not receive that care. Of those who do, the average time between the screening and the examination is 18 months.
- In Kentucky, where comprehensive children’s vision exams are mandatory for all students entering kindergarten, 20% of the children examined had some type of vision problem.
Click here for answers to more frequently asked questions about children and children's eye care.
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