INFORMATION MEMORANDUM

TO: All Head Start Grantee and Delegate Agencies

SUBJECT: Partnership between Head Start and Vision Service Plan

BACKGROUND: In 1997, Vision Service Plan (VSP), a nationwide network of licensed optometrists, ophthalmologists and laboratories participated in the President's Summit for America's Future and pledged to provide eye exams and eye glasses for needy children throughout the nation. As a result, VSP proposed to the Head Start Bureau a collaborative partnership where VSP would provide eyecare services, at no charge, to 7,000 Head Start children not covered by any form of health insurance who are in need of further examination and eyeglasses. This collaborative partnership is part of VSP's "Sight for Students" program founded several years ago.

INFORMATION: This memorandum supercedes ACYF-IM-HS-98-11, dated August 21, 1998.
VSP has informed the Head Start Bureau of its commitment to continue its Sight for Students Program and partnership with the Head Start through August, 2000.

Participation in this program is voluntary and services will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis. Attached to this memorandum (ATTACHMENT A) is information that describes the steps necessary to participate in this program. In order to participate, a child must:

Be a Head Start student, or sibling, or a student in a school where a Head Start program is located, who failed their vision screening, and due to a lack of health insurance, are unable to obtain follow-up diagnosis and treatment.

Children enrolled in Medicaid are not eligible to participate in this program. Children enrolled in their State's Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or another insurance program are not eligible if the insurance program provides vision services. Therefore, it is important to be knowledgeable about the benefits covered under your State's CHIP program, and to share this information with parents.

If your program wishes to participate, complete a Sight for Student Application (ATTACHMENT B) and submit it to VSP. As supplies last, Head Start programs will be sent a benefit form from VSP for each student, along with a listing of VSP providers in their area. After the forms are received, Head Start programs will work with families to select providers and give them with benefits form for their child. Selected providers will provide the service and submit the claim form to VSP.

VSP is asking that programs provide them with stories of children who were positively affected by this program (ATTACHMENT C). VSP is not, however, asking for the names of these children.

Also attached to this memorandum is a Fact Sheet on Vision Testing that can be found in the Head Start Training Guide for the Learning Community entitled "Well-Child Health Care" (ATTACHMENT D). This fact sheet briefly describes the key features of vision testing and why it is important for young children.

ATTACHMENT E describes the vision services that are covered by the Sight for Students Program.
More information about the Sight for Students Program can be found on their web site: http://www.sightforstudents.org

/S/
Helen H. Taylor
Associate Commissioner
Head Start Bureau