• National Experience

• Provincial Experience

• Experience Elsewhere

Mission and Vision

Mission Statement – The Children’s Vision Initiative is dedicated to the prevention, early detection and management of eye and vision problems, which impact the health, development, education, and welfare of Canada’s children.

Vision Statement – All children in Canada access and receive appropriate, quality eye health and vision care throughout their developmental years. Key Strategies:

1. The Profession
• Assist members by providing leadership, education and guidance specific to pediatric vision care and management;
• Support and assist provincial associations with children’s vision legislative and policy initiatives.
2. Building Alliances
• Identify and/or partner with like-minded national organizations and associations;
• Establishing and maintaining relationships with federal government departments and agencies responsible for children’s affairs.
3. Public Awareness / Communication / Relations
   Taking our message to the:
• Public
• Healthcare Community
• Educational Community
• Government

National Experience

The Canadian Association of Optometrists is dedicated to meeting the visual needs of our nation’s children. The Children’s Vision Initiative was established by CAO to work towards ensuring that all children in Canada access and receive appropriate, quality eye health and vision care throughout the developmental years. The initiative began in 2003 at the CAO Optometric Leaders’ Forum following a presentation by Dr. ??, American Optometric Association. Those in attendance at the OLF agreed that children’s vision must be a priority for the Optometry profession in Canada. The first meeting of the CVI was held in conjunction with the CAO Biennial Congress in Halifax, Nova Scotia in July, 2003 and was Chaired by Dr. Dorrie Morrow. All provincial associations were invited to appoint a representative to CVI.

CVI gathered resources from a number of jurisdictions with experience with children’s vision programs. It continued to share this information with provincial representatives and CAO members. In addition, guides for Teachers and Parents were updated and made available at a national level. Dr. Morrow also promoted CVI at provincial meetings and the annual Optometric Leaders’ Forum. National and provincial activity was also profiled in CAO publications.

In 1995, with assistance from CAO’s government relations consultant, CVI applied for project support from the Federal Social Development Partnership Program. A copy of the application brief was also printed in the Canadian Journal of Optometry. The proposal contemplated a project that would build upon the successful ‘Eye See Eye Learn’ pilot program developed and implemented by the Alberta Association of Optometrists (AAO) in 2003/ 2004. The program was in collaboration with the Elk Island Public School District, the regional health districts within the area of EIPS and the provincial Ministry of Children’s Services. The application was ultimately not successful, but did serve to lay the framework for future CVI efforts.

In 2006, CVI considered its work in providing promotional resources for provincial associations and CAO members. CVI ultimately accepted a gracious offer from the Alberta Association of Optometrists to use its ‘Eye See Eye Learn’ name and resources. Artwork was shared with CVI and developed for use at a national level. A selection of material is now available from CAO.

Provincial Experience

There has been a long history of provincial activities in the area of children’s vision. It became a priority, however, following the 2003 Optometric Leaders’ Forum, when there was significant progress made in several jurisdictions. Most notable in the early years was in British Columbia and Alberta with the BCAO ABSee program and the AAO Eye See Eye Learn program. Other provinces began too in varying degrees. In ??, CAO profiled provincial and national activities in the Canadian Journal of Optometry.

The current status of provincial activity is noted below:

British Columbia

BCAO’s award winning a-b-See Children’s Vision Program began in 2003 with the development of a resource kit for use by teachers and early learning centers. In 2006, BCAO, with funding support from the provincial government in the amount of $1 million and corporate sponsorship from Essilor Canada, distributed over 4,000 a-b-See kits province wide. The BCAO translated the kit into French and translated the a-b-See brochure into 6 languages, developed two TV ads and launched a television ad campaign in November, 2006. They also created a stand alone website for a-b-See with interactive games (see www.absee.ca), created trade show display banners, powerpoint presentations, and collateral materials including posters, POS stands, bookmarks, growth charts, tattoos, stickers and colouring books. A-b-See materials were distributed to optometrists as well as public health nurses, community health centres, community-centred resource and referral programs and First Nations child care and preschool programs.

In 2006, the Ministry of Health informed the BCAO that it intended to re-introduce province wide screening program at a kindergarten level.

Alberta

Eye See…Eye Learn continues to thrive and grow. More than 43 of the 63 school districts are now participating – including both Public and Separate School Divisions of Edmonton and Calgary. The AAO has two full time coordinators plus an administrative assistant to support the activity in this program. They anticipate having all districts on board by the end of the 2007 school year – which will mean 50,000 children, in 2007, will be strongly encouraged to have an eye health examination by an optometrist. In each of the school districts, we also contact and inform the Regional Health Authority – thereby ensuring the Public Health Nurses and Aides are aware of the program. They have shown great interest and the AAO is continuously receiving calls for more materials etc. The AAO “Fact Sheet” has been translated into 9 languages to address those homes where English is not their first language. Elk Island School District was the Pilot in 03/04 – and they are now in their fourth year of distribution.

The AAO is busy with presentations to School Boards, Parent Groups, Principals, and ECS Teachers – keeping the local MLA fully informed and involved where possible. There is considerable travel and time committed by the AAO Executive Director – however once all districts are on board, the AAO anticipates the program will go into “Maintenance Mode”, allowing the AAO to reduce direct staff and minimize the extra support provided by AAO staff. Having said that, the AAO has also proposed to government that they not only continue funding for this tremendously successful program, but they increase funding to allow the AAO to offer it to pre-K, Day cares, Day homes, preschools etc. Should they go along with this — there will be a need to retain staff and develop a new strategy for implementation, customized for this target group.

In 2006 the Eye See…Eye Learn Program was honored with the Friends of Education Award, by the Alberta School Boards Association. The nomination was submitted, unbeknownst to the AAO, by the Northern Lights School District, who have participated in the program since 2005.

The AAO offered to allow CAO free and full access to all the Eye See…Eye Learn products and materials. The AAO felt it was in the best interest of optometry to share our program – and could see no down side to expanding the Eye See…Eye Learn name. The AAO welcomes this opportunity and looks forward to working with the CAO Children’s Vision Initiative team.

Saskatchewan

In 2007, the SAO Council designated a budget of $20,000 to provide the framework for a Children’s Vision Initiative. Dr Dorothy Barrie, Chair of the SAO CVI committee, continues to work with the CAO CVI Committee and the SAO Council to move the CVI forward. The SAO is pleased to report that Saskatchewan Health and Saskatchewan Learning both endorsed the program and committed to forwarding a letter to every Kindergarten child’s parents encouraging an eye appointment for the child. With the change in government in the Fall, 2007, the SAO will need to pursue this priority and government commitment.

In the 2007 SK Health contract renewals, SK Health agreed to fund $60,000 in 2008 and another $60,000 in 2009 to develop a CVI in SK. A committee comprised of Government, SAO and other stakeholders, is to be identified as soon as the new government is up and running.

Manitoba

Dr. Michelle Georgi sits on Dr. Dorrie Morrow’s steering committee for the national children’s vision initiative. She has also recently been named as Chair of the MAO Children’s Vision Committee. The Committee is enthusiastic about the Alberta and BC successes and is working out how to get a Manitoba partnership with Government off the ground.

Ontario

Over the past several years, OAO has focused our Children’s Vision initiative on reaching the parents of children aged 3 to 5 through the Good Vision brochure program. Brochures have been distributed through a number of school boards, Early Years Centres, and public health units. On average, 64000 English language and 2500 French language brochures are distributed each year through these channels. The OAO Working Group will soon begin focusing its efforts on the creation of material for inclusion in kindergarten pre-registration packages. OAO has also traditionally undertaken an annual Back to School campaign. OAO’s Lending Library materials are available to members for school and service club presentations, health fairs, and the like. Recently OAO has added to its collection of videos and DVDs, and purchased a new children’s eye chart poster for in-class presentations.

New Position Statement on Comprehensive Eye Exams versus Screenings:

In June 2005 OAO adopted a new policy supporting comprehensive eye examinations for all children, beginning with assessment at 6 months of age, again at ages 3 and 5, and thereafter as recommended by their eye care professional. Following the adoption of our policy, letters were sent to school boards advising them of the new position statement on screenings versus eye exams.

Québec

To Add

New Brunswick

Since 1996, the NBAO has sent a vision awareness package home with all kindergarten students. The Department of Education has cooperated with this program. Each year, the NBAO requests approval from the Superintendents of the Anglophone and the Francophone school systems. The NBAO has never had any problems receiving approval.

In September 2006, a new provincial government was elected. The NBAO requested meetings with both the new Ministers of Health and Education for the purpose of developing a program similar to the Alberta’s Children’s Vision Initiative, and to ensure all children have a complete eye examination prior to starting school.

Nova Scotia

The children’s vision environment in Nova Scotia is somewhat unique when compared to the rest of the country. The province has a well established Enhanced Vision Screening Program (EVSP) which uses public health nurses to screen all children by the age of five, in conjunction with registration for grade primary (kindergarten). Children who fail the screening are immediately referred to an OD who performs a complete examination and sends a report containing information about diagnosis, treatment and follow up care back to Public Health Department. The program was designed by the ophthalmologists at the IWK Children’s Hospital and has demonstrated evidence based success.

A new model is being developed which will attempt to identify “at risk” children even earlier (at the time of their immunization visits) by having parents answer a series of questions relevant to the child’s vision and ocular family history. Children flagged by the questionnaire would be referred to an OD for a comprehensive examination and treatment as required. Currently, the model suggests referral to the pediatric ophthalmologist if the optometrist is unable to achieve “timely” success in managing amblyopia or strabismus. The Enhanced Vision Screening Program will work in conjunction with this model. It is hoped that once this model is implemented, optometrists would be able to bill for multiple visits related to the ongoing treatment of amblyopic patients – something optometrists are currently unable to do.

Prince Edward Island

Dr. Murray Rusk volunteered his time and enthusiasm to being the champion of the CAO Children’s Vision Initiative in PEI.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Dr. Dorrie Morrow met with the NLAO Council during the 2006 AGM and discussed the status of the Children’s Vision Initiative. Council agreed to consider ways and means to introduce a Children’s Vision Initiative in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Experience Elsewhere

American Optometric Association

The AOA has a long history of supporting children’s vision. In recent years, it has urged Congress to Make Funding for Children’s Vision and Learning Initiatives a Top Priority. For example, in 2007, the AOA provided support for the Vision Care for Kids Act of 2007, S. 1117 / HR 507, a bi-partisan bill designed to ensure that no child is left behind in the classroom due to a treatable vision problem. Several leaders in Congress on health policy and education issues joined forces in early 2007 to introduce this legislation, including Senators Christopher “Kit” Bond (R-MO) and Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Reps. Gene Green (D-TX), Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). S. 1117 / HR 507 recognizes the link between healthy vision and learning and would establish a federal children’s vision treatment grant program that will bolster initiatives in the states. Also, the legislation seeks to encourage children’s vision partnerships with non-profit entities, including groups as committed to the cause of safeguarding the sight of America’s children as state optometric associations. For children’s vision and learning legislation to become a priority for this Congress, it is essential for Congressional co-sponsors to be added to these bills.

In addition, may of the States have children vision programs. In several States, there is legislation that mandates eye examinations prior to entering school.

Australia

To add