Why Breakfast?
Kids skip breakfast for a variety of reasons, but it's certain that students are better able to focus and concentrate in class and less likely to have discipline problems, be tardy, or pay a visit to the nurse when they start their day with breakfast, especially when it’s served at school. School breakfast allows all students the opportunity to start the day off right.
Universal Breakfast
Universal breakfast refers to any school program that offers breakfast at no charge to all students, regardless of income.
How can schools do this? Those schools that have higher percentages of free and reduced price students may not have all qualifying students participating, due to those students not wishing to identify themselves as low-income. In fact, only 43 children eat federally-funded free or reduced-price school breakfasts for every 100 who receive free or reduced price school lunch (source: FRAC, 2003).
The high meal participation rates associated with universal breakfast create such economies of scale that schools are able to provide all meals on the reimbursement dollars they receive from the government for those students that qualify for free and reduced price meals.
For more information, contact us at expandingbreakfast@drink-milk.com or visit the Food Research and Action Center Web site, www.frac.org
Those in Ohio seeking additional information may contact Children’s Hunger Alliance at 614-341-7700 or visit their Web site, www.childrenshungeralliance.org
