ST. LOUIS—Optometry Cares – The AOA Foundation announced that it will award grants up to $5,000 to doctors under a new program titled Healthy Eye Healthy Children (HEHC). The Foundation will be rewarding projects that align with its goal of spreading awareness and increasing vision services to address uncorrected refractive error in children across the country.

"Optometry Cares is excited to have the HEHC program focusing on increasing the outreach of vision services to communities, families, schools and the medical community with special attention to the underserved needs of children," says Allan Barker, OD, president of the Optometry Cares Board of Directors.

The HEHC grants are meant to fund collaborations between doctors of optometry and community resources to boost awareness and access to vision care for children. The program is funded by Essilor Vision Foundation, which also is supporting the program in-kind with lenses and laboratory services.

"These grants will help doctors of optometry touch the lives of tens of thousands of people across the country," Dr. Barker added. "The HEHC community grants program is a perfect extension or complement to our already highly successful InfantSEE program. Now we also can focus on children beyond 6 months to 12 months of age. We can help all children achieve their maximum visual potential."

Click here to learn more about the grants and apply. All applications must be submitted online by Jul. 15, 2017.