Among Prevent Blindness America’s core visionary goals is the reduction of vision loss by ensuring all children receive appropriate vision care before entering school. Toward this end, Prevent Blindness America supports legislation in every state that would ensure all children are screened for vision problems, with appropriate follow-up eye examinations when necessary, prior to school entry.

The kind of vision care or assessment your child may be required to get before entering school varies from state to state.

• Wisconsin allows (but does not require) a vision examination
• Frequency: Students entering kindergarten

• Washington requires a vision screening
• Frequency: Students in kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th grades (or annually, if school resources permit) and for any child showing symptoms of possible loss in visual acuity referred to the district by parents, guardians, or school staff