PHOENIX – Uno de cada cuatro niñas y niños tiene algún tipo de problema de la vista, pero es común que estos problemas de visión pasen desapercibidos.

Y los optometristas opinan que cuando las escuelas vuelven a la actividad, es un momento importante para asegurarse de que los pequeños pueden ver con claridad.

Comentan las doctoras Amy L. Davis, optometrista; y Kelly Varney, profesora asistente en el Colegio de Optometría de Arizona, de la Universidad Midwestern.

Cerca del 80 por ciento de lo que aprende un pequeño en la escuela se relaciona con la vista. Así que la Dra. Amy Davis -optometrista pediátrica– dice que cuando los pequeños tienen problemas de la vista no detectados, pueden perder para siempre gran parte de su educación.

“Uno de cada cuatro niños en edad escolar tiene problemas de la vista. Así que es un asunto muy, muy importante asegurar que esos chicos vean bien cuando estén en la escuela.”

Los infantes que califican para Medicaid, o para el “Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System”, tienen cubiertos sus exámenes de la vista y lentes hasta los 21 años. Para los pequeños que no califican para Medicaid y no tienen seguro de visión, hay muchos programas comunitarios que ofrecen exámenes de la vista baratos o gratuitos, como el “Lion’s Club’s Kidsight”. Hay más información en el sitio eyesonlearning.org.

La Asociación Optométrica Americana (“American Optometric Association”) recomienda que a los pequeños se les revisen sus ojos a partir de los seis meses de edad, luego a los tres años. Para los que ya van a la escuela, los exámenes de la vista se recomiendan antes del primer año, luego cada dos años. La Dra. Kelly Varney, profesora asistente del Colegio de Optometría de Arizona, de la Universidad Midwestern (“Arizona College of Optometry at Midwestern University”), advierte que esos exámenes son importantes incluso si los pequeños no presentan un signo obvio de visión deficiente.

“Los niños pueden quejarse de cosas como dolores de cabeza cuando leen, o tener mucho sueño, y no tienes idea de que pueda ser por su visión. Muchos de los problemas con los que lucharán en la escuela no parecen relacionados a la vista, porque los pequeños no siempre te dirán “cuando miro algo lo veo borroso”.

La Dra. Varney opina que niñas y niños pueden tener una cantidad de problemas de visión aparte de sólo miopía o hipermetropía. Dice que los exámenes de la vista detectan también astigmatismo, registro visual anormal y salud ocular.


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Medi-Cal has dropped several hundred thousand low-income children from the health insurance rolls since April 2023, according to a new report from Georgetown University.

The data show a net drop in children's Medi-Cal enrollment of 200,000 kids between April and December of last year, as the state started redetermining participants' annual eligibility - which had been paused to ensure continuous coverage during the pandemic.

Mayra Alvarez, president of the Children's Partnership, said another 100,000 have been dropped this year.

"Some 80% of the people that lose coverage in California are losing it for procedural reasons," said Alvarez, "not because they're not eligible but because their paperwork didn't make it to the county, or they waited too long on the line and got frustrated and had to hang up, or they moved and the letter never even reached them."

The state of California has made a massive outreach effort to keep those who are eligible covered.

More than half a million children, half of California's kids, depend on Medi-Cal. And three quarters of them are children of color.

It is unclear how many kids who lost Medi-Cal were later enrolled in private coverage.

Joan Alker is a co-author of the report, and executive director of the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University. She said gaps in coverage can lead to long-term negative impacts.

"Kids are going to miss out on those well-child visits, they're going to miss out on getting the medications they need," said Alker, "be it an inhaler for their asthma or an ADHD medication. And that really sets them back, both in their health and their success in school."

A few years ago, California lawmakers passed a requirement for continuous coverage in Medi-Cal for children ages zero to five.

Alvarez said she is urging them to follow through and allocate $10 million in the next state budget to fulfill this mission.

After Texas, a new report shows Florida has seen the second-largest decline in the number of children enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Of the 4.16 million fewer children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP nationally, Florida accounts for nearly 600,000 enrollment declines - according to a report by Georgetown University's Center for Children and Families, tracking the Medicaid unwinding since COVID-related coverage protections were lifted.

Alison Yager, executive director with the Florida Health Justice Project, said it's more like a crisis has been unfolding in Florida - and they've long been sounding the alarm.

"This, at its most extreme, can be a question of life or death, really," said Yager, "and short of that, we're seeing far too many families having to now scramble to figure out what's going to change in their monthly budget so they can now pay for whatever medication their kids require."

Yager cautioned that even if families qualify for one of Florida's KidCare programs, there are gaps in coverage.

Going without insurance, even briefly, can cause people to delay seeking care and leave them financially vulnerable when they do.

In February, the state sued the Center for Medicaid Services to stop them from enforcing 12 month continuous eligibility in the state's CHIP program.

The report is based on administrative data from the states to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Joan Alker - executive director of the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown - said Texas, Florida, Georgia and California accounted for half of the total national decline in kids with health insurance.

"This is a real crisis in these states for families whose children rely on Medicaid, but also for the providers that serve them - pediatricians and clinics," said Alker. "The system is really getting shaken up."

An April survey by KFF reveals that almost one fourth of adults who were removed from Medicaid - the program for low-income individuals - after pandemic-related protections ended last spring, now report being uninsured.

The need for child care and early learning is critical, especially in rural Arkansas. One nonprofit is working to fill those gaps by giving providers a chance to get more education.

The Career Pathways Program with Save the Children partners with universities to grow the workforce of child care and preschool providers.

Joyce Taylor, Eastern Arkansas parent-family community engagement coordinator for Save the Children, had more than 20 years' experience with Head Start and said the program gave her the opportunity to pursue a bachelor's degree. It also provides her with resources she can use, in the classroom and with families.

"In particular, we have a family with a child that is autistic," Taylor noted. "Mom is working with the child at home. So I have things that I can share with that family, so she can continue to work with her child."

More than 153,000 openings for child care workers are projected over the next decade, largely driven by the need to replace those who have left the field or retired, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Taylor pointed out some children have challenging behaviors, and may have a lot of things going on at home. It is her job to help them thrive in preschool.

"Because we're the first start, when they come into Head Start, that's their first opportunity to be in a learning environment," Taylor explained. "It's up to us to do everything that we can do, to help make that first experience successful."

Karen Harrison, managing director of career in education workforce development for Save the Children, said rural areas have access to fewer resources compared to urban areas, so the program focuses on addressing the specific gaps in rural communities. She added the Pathways program aims to reduce barriers to obtaining a higher-ed credential or degree.

"All of our pathways come with incentives," Harrison emphasized. "We either pay all or partial of their tuition; we pay stipends, for books, supplies and materials. We also give 'barrier reduction' stipends. We know that child care for participants themselves can be an issue; transportation, technology needs."

Harrison added the pathway begins with a Child Development Associate credential, followed by an associate degree, and ultimately a bachelor's degree. In the process, they improve the career opportunities for workers, as well as the quality of early learning.