CHICAGO—The National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH) has announced that the federal Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau is granting the Center $300,000. This is the second year that the federal Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau has granted this money to NCCVEH in support of the Center’s work to improve eye health in at-risk, minority, and vulnerable populations of young children by the year 2021. This funding will help support the “Better Vision Together—Community of Practice” program, which is a peer-to-peer mentorship and learning program for eight communities and states including Texas, two in Arizona, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, California and Florida.

The program serves populations made up of children who are Hispanic, members of Native American tribes in cities and reservations, Asians, African Americans, immigrants from Iraq, Congo, Burma, Somalia, Afghanistan, Laos, migrant farm workers and more.

In addition, other plans for this grant period include a social media awareness campaign that will be targeted at minority parents and caregivers, as well as the development of an online Family Resource Tool Kit for early childhood care and education centers to distribute.

Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness, said, “In 1908, Prevent Blindness was founded as a public health advocacy organization, specifically to address children’s vision issues. Thanks to the generous support of MCHB, we can continue to have a positive impact on children and their future across the country.”

The NCCVEH at Prevent Blindness is supported by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau under grant number H7MMC24738. The total award amount for the “Vision Screening in Young Children” grant is $300,000 (percentage financed with nongovernmental sources .5 percent). This information or content and conclusions are those of the NCCVEH and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.