The Vision Council Foundation partnered with KidSight, a Missouri nonprofit, to provide free vision screenings to 1,309 children on Tuesday, October 13, in recognition of World Sight Day. The screenings took place at 15 schools, daycares, Head Start programs, and community sites in 11 Missouri counties, according to a press release from The Vision Council Foundation

Of the children screened, 145 were flagged for a possible vision problem. KidSight staff will now work one-on-one with each of those families to explain the results, find child-friendly eye care nearby and, when needed, connect them with financial resources for an exam and glasses.

KidSight uses handheld screening devices that produce results in seconds. Children as young as 6 months can be screened, even if they can't yet read or talk. The screenings check for common conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and amblyopia.

The partnership also builds on The Vision Council Foundation's ongoing efforts to prioritize children's eye health at home and in school, according to the organization.

Through its See What Matters – Empowering Education initiative, the Foundation offers free downloadable toolkits for parents, educators, and eyecare professionals, including a myopia fact sheet, a family eye exam checklist, and a school vision screening postcard. The resources are available through The Vision Council Foundation's website.