InfantSEE and Vision Start

From birth, babies begin exploring the wonders in the world with their eyes. Even before they learn to reach and grab with their hands or crawl and sit-up, their eyes are providing information and stimulation important for their development. Healthy eyes and good vision play a critical role in how infants and children learn to see. Eye and vision problems in infants can cause developmental delays. It is important to detect conditions early to ensure babies have the opportunity to develop the visual abilities they need to grow and learn.

InfantSEE®, a public health program, managed by Optometry Cares® -The AOA Foundation, is designed to ensure that eye and vision care becomes an essential part of infant wellness care to improve a child's quality of life. Under this program, participating doctors of optometry provide a comprehensive infant eye assessment between 6 and 12 months of age free of charge regardless of family income or access to insurance coverage. 

Visit InfantSEE.org to find a participating providers in your area. Once you've found a provider near you, call their office and let them know you would like to schedule an InfantSEE assessment for your baby.

Did you know that undiagnosed vision conditions can delay your child’s development and academic growth and even lead to permanent vision loss? That’s why early detection from an eye doctor is critical to treat lazy eye, astigmatism, cancer, and other vision issues.

Before the age of 6, it’s recommended that children have at least three eye exams. However, we understand cost is a significant barrier to providing vision care for your child, and we’re here to help. If you are in need if assistance, please visit visionstart.org to complete the online application. The application and approval process take less then 2 minutes.

Vision Start providing FREE EYE EXAMS to children in need ages 4-5.