Ringgold County Parents as Teachers (PAT) is partnering with Mount Ayr Lions Club to provide free vision screening for young children 6 to 48 months of age. The screenings will take place Tuesday, October 1, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in Ringgold County Hospital Conference Room C.
Iowa Kidsight is a project utilizing trained Lions Club volunteers to conduct vision screenings in local communities. The screenings are evaluated by a specialist at The University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and results are returned to families. If a possible vision problem is detected, a letter of referral for the child will be included with the results.
The first few years of a child’s life are critical in the development of good vision. “Problems are not always evident by simply looking at a child,” states Robin McDonnell, RN, PAT Parent Educator. “The earlier these conditions are detected, the more easily and successfully they can be treated.”
Over the past 12 months, 37,401 children were screened through the Iowa Kidsight project at 2,257 different sessions. Of those screened, 7.84% were referred for further testing.
Contact Ringgold County Public Health at 641-464-0691 to schedule your child’s vision screening and obtain a consent form.
Ringgold County Parents as Teachers is open to eligible residents of the county who are expecting a child or have a child under the age of 3. Funding for the program is provided by Quad Counties 4 Kids Early Childhood Area, Prevent Child Abuse Iowa and the Dekko Foundation.