Spectacles Assistance Scheme Tasmania: Free Glasses for Children in Kinship Care

What the Scheme Covers

The Spectacles Assistance Scheme is a Tasmanian Government program that pays for basic vision testing, standard frames, and lenses for eligible children. It's administered through DECYP and delivered by participating optometrists across the state.

For kinship carers on a tight budget, this removes a cost that can easily run $200–$400 at a commercial optometrist — and children who've changed homes often haven't had a recent eye test.

Who Qualifies

Three groups of children are eligible:

• Children in out-of-home care (formal DECYP placements)
• Children of Centrelink concession card holders (Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card)
• Grandchildren of grandparents who are legally responsible for them

For the grandparent category, the grandparent must be legally responsible for the child; day-to-day care by itself is not the stated eligibility test.

How to Apply

Unlike STAS, which has an online portal, the Spectacles Assistance Scheme is accessed directly through participating optometrists. Take the child to a participating practice, let them know you're a kinship carer or grandparent carer, and they'll verify eligibility through DECYP.

Bring your Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card, and something showing the child lives with you — a school enrolment letter, a Centrelink confirmation, or a statutory declaration.

The scheme covers standard frames and lenses. If the child needs a specific style or premium lenses, you'll pay the difference between the standard allowance and the upgraded option.

Combining With Other Vision Support

If the child is listed on your Medicare card, they may also be eligible for Medicare-rebated optometry consultations. The Child Dental Benefits Schedule doesn't cover eyes, but the broader pattern holds: stack the state scheme with federal Medicare where they overlap.

For children with more complex vision needs — particularly those with disabilities who may be on NDIS plans — therapeutic supports under the NDIS can cover specialised optical equipment that goes beyond what the Spectacles Assistance Scheme provides.

Next Steps

The Support for Grandparents and Kinship Carers in Tasmania guide includes the Spectacles Assistance Scheme alongside every other state concession available to kinship carers, with a checklist of what to bring to the optometrist and how to combine it with Medicare and NDIS supports.

See more Tasmania guides →