Children then will not have their vision checked again until they are in Year Seven (about 11 years of age) where they are screened by Vision Hearing Technicians.
"In addition to the Ministry of Health's screening programme, it's important for parents to keep an eye on their child's vision and to book them in for an eye exam if they have any doubt at all," said Mr Thompson.
"It's especially important before they are eight years old as it can be much harder to correct any problems after that."
"Some tell-tale signs a child may have vision problems include if they have learning or reading difficulties, are clumsier than usual for their age, screw up their eyes or tilt their head to see, or have frequent headaches. Irrespectively, Specsavers optometrists recommend everyone over the age of three is tested every two years," he said.
Kids Go Free ambassador, Carly Flynn, also mother to two young children, said eye exams often slip down the to-do list for busy mums like her, and for many families, the $60 per person cost isn't an option.
"Luckily neither of my children required any correction after getting their eyes tested, but as I have a family history of poor eyesight, I'll be keeping a close eye on them - and the free eye exams make this manageable." she said.
The company ran the offer during January this year and saw the number of children coming in for eye exams rise significantly, indicating cost is a barrier to many Kiwi parents.
