The Vision Council Foundation and KidSight Bring Free Vision Screenings to Over 1,000 Missouri Children

Alexandria, VA (October 15, 2026) – The Vision Council Foundation partnered with KidSight, a Missouri nonprofit, to provide free vision screenings to 1,309 children on Tuesday, Oct. 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.

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.

“Screening children's vision early and often, from infancy through their school years, is one of the simplest ways to make sure they can learn, participate and succeed in the classroom,” said Ashley Mills, CEO of The Vision Council and The Vision Council Foundation. “World Sight Day is a reminder that good eye care starts with access. Partnering with KidSight let us bring screenings directly to Missouri children and help their families take the next step toward care.”

“A screening is only the first step. What matters most is making sure every child who needs care actually gets it,” said Melissa Stephenson, Executive Director of KidSight. “With support from The Vision Council Foundation, we were able to reach 1,309 children across several communities in Missouri, and our team is now working with each referred family to help them find an eye doctor, understand their options and get their child seen.”

The KidSight partnership builds on The Vision Council Foundation's ongoing work to make children's eye health a priority at home and in school. 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 at thevisioncouncilfoundation.org/see-what-matters.

To learn more about KidSight, visit kid-sight.org. To learn more about The Vision Council Foundation, visit thevisioncouncilfoundation.org.