Helping people see well throughout their lifetime begins with protecting little eyes. Eye care for children is critical beginning in infancy, as children’s eyesight changes rapidly. Vision plays a huge role in a child’s development, education, and overall quality of life. If a child has an undetected vision problem, it is important that it is identified early.
Children are unaware of how they should see and do not know they may have blurred vision. Parents often have no way of knowing their child is having difficulty seeing and may not be aware of the importance of having their children’s eyes checked or cannot do so, due to affordability issues, lack of time, or other barriers.
In 2008, Healthy Vision Week (the predecessor to Children’s Vision Screening Initiative, now KidsFIRST Free Vision Screenings) was developed to combat undetected vision issues in children.
Over five years, through a partnership between LifeSight and area eye care professionals, more than 1,500 free eye exams were provided to preschool and elementary students across the region, revealing a critical need for year-round, accessible care.
This led to the creation of the Children’s Vision Screening Initiative in 2012, which launched with support from the John T. Vucurevich Foundation, along with private donors and local service organizations, including Lions Clubs. Its purpose: early detection of vision problems in preschool and elementary-age children through uniform screening and referral processes that will lead to timely diagnosis and appropriate intervention.
Using advanced technology called the SPOTTM vision screener, the initiative began providing free vision screenings to children 6 months of age through 5th grade year-round in schools, childcare centers, and family-friendly community events. The SPOTTM technology, within a few seconds and without physical contact or response required from the child, identifies eye conditions like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, along with other risk factors associated with amblyopia, the #1 cause of vision loss in U.S. children.
Today, through KidsFIRST, LifeSight has conducted over 75,000 free vision screenings across the Black Hills region to ensure early detection of vision problems and connect families to the care they need to protect young eyes from long-term vision loss.
Due to finding undetected risk factors that can affect their vision, to date we have referred 11,000 of these children – nearly 15% – to an eye doctor for comprehensive follow-up care.
Most children referred for follow-up care are simply prescribed eyeglasses. A number require medical intervention like vision therapy to strengthen the visual system. And in some cases, pediatric cataracts have been diagnosed that, if left untreated, cause permanent vision loss or blindness.
LifeSight and its KidsFIRST collaborators are committed to assisting families with scheduling pediatric eye examinations and accessing necessary financial resources to ensure appropriate follow-up care is provided.
LifeSight presently administers over 7,500 KidsFIRST free vision screenings yearly. The amount continues to grow and our commitment to ensure all children have access to eye care remains a mission priority. But we cannot do it alone. We need your help to continue reaching thousands of children annually – many of whom would otherwise go without care. Join us in safeguarding the future of KidsFIRST. We are inviting dedicated community partners to make a lasting impact with a $2,000 annual gift to help children see clearly, learn confidently, and thrive. Will you be one of them?
Contact Ronda Gusinsky
Executive Director
(605) 716-6733
or [email protected]
Contact Rachel Swarthout
KidsFIRST Project Coordinator
(605) 716-6733
or [email protected]
Contact Rachel Swarthout
KidsFIRST Project Coordinator
(605) 716-6733
or [email protected]