| |
Vision Program For Schoolchildren
| What: |
Providing free eye examinations and glasses to
eligible children |
| How: |
Eligible children receive vouchers for their
community optometrist or a mobile eye care clinic visits the child’s
school |
| |
| If you have lost a voucher please call 305-856-9830
for a replacement - at no cost to the family. |
|
|
|
|
Florida Heiken Children’s Vision Program Forms (Click Here) |
|
|
|
|
|
Florida Heiken Children’s Vision Program Serves as a
Model for Other States
January, 2012, Optometry: Journal of the American Optometric Association
To read the full text of this article,
click here.
|
|
|
|
|
Quick Facts:
-
What is the Florida Heiken Children’s Vision Program?
-
The Heiken Children’s Vision Fund was created in 1992 by the Dade County
Optometric Association, and to date it has provided free comprehensive eye
examinations and eyeglasses to more than 85,000 financially
disadvantaged schoolchildren who had no other source for vision care.
-
In 2010, the Florida Heiken Children’s Vision Program, LLC was registered
with the State of Florida, expanding vision health services to low-income
children residing in selected additional counties throughout Florida.
-
The statewide expansion for the 2012-13 academic years increased the
number of children served to more than 10,000 throughout Florida who
will receive eye care via a statewide panel of optometric physicians
during the current school year. These services are provided through mobile
or in-office eye care.
-
Roughly 84% of children examined require and receive prescription
eyeglasses, confirming the importance of our project. Furthermore, 74%
of parents surveyed indicate their child’s performance had improved in
school because of the glasses.
-
Why are these services important?
According to research by the American Optometric Association, vision
problems in children and teenagers may contribute to poor school
performance, behavior issues and delinquency. AOA research shows that ¼ of
children have vision problems; literacy can be improved with early
intervention. Students with poor vision cannot see the board or do close
work and fall behind in class. In an upcoming journal, the American
Optometric Association will be featuring the Heiken Program as a role
model for other states.
-
Supplemental Funding
Other funders for this program are the Florida Optometric Charities,
the National Eye Institute, the American Optometric Association, the
Children’s Trust and many other foundations and donors whose funding more
than doubles the number of children the Heiken Program is able to serve.
We
believe that literacy can be improved with early intervention in children
with vision deficits. Students with poor vision cannot see the board or
do close work and fall behind in class Our objective is to provide
comprehensive eye health services including vision examinations,
eyeglasses and vision training for students, thus meeting the goal for
vision established in National Eye Institute, National Institutes of
Health, Healthy Vision/Healthy People 2010 initiative. In the past three
years, the Heiken Program has received two Healthy Vision/Healthy People
awards from NEI.
Governance oversight of the
program is provided by the President, Secretary and Treasurer of the LLC;
oversight of the program is provided by the Florida Heiken Children's
Vision Program Advisory Committee comprised of optometrists,
ophthalmologists and representatives from foundations and school
districts.
The Miami Lighthouse for the
Blind has received five consecutive four-star ratings from Charity
Navigator, placing it among the nation's top 13% most efficient non-profit
organizations and is accredited by the National Accreditation Council for
Agencies Serving People with Blindness or Visual Impairment.
For additional information at
786-362-7526 or 1-888-996-9847.
Miami Lighthouse Wins South Florida Business Journal
Excellence In Health Care - Community Outreach Award
Miami Lighthouse received the prestigious South Florida
Business Journal 2011 Excellence in Health Care Award in the Community
Outreach category at an award ceremony October 6.
Click here for press release.
School Board Member Raquel Regalado thanks
the Heiken Children's Vision Program
School Board Member Raquel Regalado thanks Miami Lighthouse for the Blind
and the Heiken Children's Vision Program that enables uninsured,
financially disadvantaged children in Miami-Dade County to receive free
comprehensive eye examinations and eyeglasses at no cost. Filmed at the
Miami Lighthouse 80th Ruby Jubilee Dinner Concert at the Biltmore Hotel.
Florida Heiken Children’s Vision Program
Honored
by Miami-Dade County School Board
A proclamation recognizing the Miami Lighthouse Heiken
Children's Vision Program for distinguished services to county
schoolchildren was presented at the April 14th, 2010 meeting of the
Miami-Dade County School Board.
Click here to read the School Board
Proclamation.
Click here to read a letter of
appreciation from Miami-Dade County Public Schools Assistant
Superintendent, Ava G. Byrne.
Contact Us:
Florida
Heiken Children’s Vision Program
601 SW 8th Avenue
Miami, FL 33130
Phone: 305-856-9830
Fax: 305-856-9840 Links of Interest:
American Optometric Association (www.aoanet.org)
Florida Optometric Association (www.floridaeyes.org)
Health Foundation of South Florida (www.hfsf.org)
Healthy Vision/Healthy People 2010 (www.healthyvision2010.org)
National Eye Institute (www.nei.nih.gov)
The Children’s Trust (www.thechildrenstrust.org)
|
|
