A new report shows that more kids are getting the school breakfast they need than ever before. The Food Research and Action Center’s annual School Breakfast Scorecard confirmed what many No Kid Hungry supporters already knew — our strategy to connect kids to this important meal is working.
This wouldn’t have been possible without hard work from so many No Kid Hungry partners, governors, principals, teachers, food service directors, investors, community groups and No Kid Hungry supporters.
Before we started the No Kid Hungry campaign, school breakfast only reached 46% of the kids who needed it. Today, it’s reaching 56% — that’s more than 3 million more kids eating school breakfast. Why? Because No Kid Hungry and our partners are helping schools across the country make breakfast a part of the school day.
Here are the three most important reasons for these results:
1. Something as simple as when you serve breakfast makes all the difference.
When breakfast is served in the cafeteria before the day starts, many kids miss out on a meal. No Kid Hungry helps schools get the things they need — like carts and equipment or even just some smart advice — so they can serve breakfast during the first few minutes of the school day. Teachers and principals report a profound effect in their classrooms: attendance rises, behavior improves, and most importantly, kids are ready to learn.
2. States with deep ties to No Kid Hungry are among the leading performers in school breakfast.
No Kid Hungry is ending child hunger in all 50 states, but in some places, we’ve committed to going farther faster. Thanks to the work of No Kid Hungry and our partners, states like Virginia and Montana were counted among the top 10 states with the biggest jump in the number of kids eating school breakfast. We’ve made significant strides toward ending hunger in Maryland, Texas and Arkansas, and they were counted among the top 10 states in the nation for breakfast participation.
3. The right legislation can change kids’ lives.
Nevada had the largest increase in the number of kids eating school breakfast in one year — 26.5% more kids are eating breakfast. Why? No Kid Hungry was part of a strong, bi-partisan advocacy campaign that helped to pass transformative legislation requiring schools to serve breakfast during the school day.
Thanks to recent policy changes in New York City and Illinois to reach more kids with school breakfast, we know we’ll see similarly impressive growth in the year to come.
We’re not done. What’s next?
In schools across this country, a child will open her textbook on an empty stomach. She’ll struggle to learn because she’s hungry. But thanks to your support, No Kid Hungry will be there for her.
We have teams working closely with the largest, worst performing school districts in states across the country. Because we must work where the need is greatest. We will take Miami, New York City, Oakland and other districts from last to best — because hungry kids can’t wait.
