All Children See

Girl Playing on Monkey Bars

What We Do

All Children See

Our Direct Patient Care Program

All Children See (ACS) is a public service program of the Children’s Eye Foundation of AAPOS.

ACS is being launched in 2020 to provide a critically needed pathway to quality eye exams for all children (18 and under), regardless of socioeconomic circumstances.

More than 2% of children under the age of 18 are blind or visually impaired, and up to 5% of young children are at risk for permanent vision loss from conditions such as amblyopia (also known as “lazy eye”) and strabismus. Nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism are the most common vision disorders in children. 5-10% of preschoolers and 25% of school-age children have vision problems that affect their learning and quality of life. Because 80% of learning is visual, vision plays a critical role in the cognitive, physical, and social development of a young child.

For a variety of reasons, many children in the US have eye care needs that are not being met. Approximately 4.3 million children did not have any health insurance coverage in 2018, an increase of 425,000 children from the previous year. We cannot afford to allow our children to forgo care. The consequences of delaying treatment for children with visual impairment can be life-long—including vision loss.

All Children See (ACS) pairs children needing a comprehensive eye exam with nearby, highly qualified pediatric ophthalmologists. ACS prioritizes seeing children who have already failed a vision screening and partners with eyeglass companies, eye patching companies, and other organizations that provide any necessary follow-up care.

All Children See is sponsored by the Knights Templar Eye Foundation.
Knights Templar Eye Foundation