More Wisconsin Kids Participating in School Breakfast

More Wisconsin Kids Participating in School Breakfast

More students in Wisconsin are participating in school breakfast programs according to a new report. The number of Wisconsin students eating breakfast at school increased by 14.7 percent over the last year according to the School Breakfast Scorecard published by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). This increase put Wisconsin in the top five states for increases in participation by low-income students.
Wisconsin has moved up in the national ranking from 43rd t 40th in measures of low-income student participation, based on the findings of this report. One factor for this rise might be the impact of the recession and the growing number of children living in poverty who need and use the school breakfast program. Another is the consistent outreach and hard work of schools and organizations across the state engaged in ensuring that more students are starting their day off with a good breakfast.

Research in the area of child nutrition shows that children who eat breakfast demonstrate an increased ability to learn and improved academic performance. Studies have also shown that eating breakfast improves behavior and mood, decreases the risk of being overweight and improves the quality of a child’s diet.

While participation in the breakfast program is on the rise, many Wisconsin children still skip breakfast on a daily basis, due to lack of time, limited household income, or because they do not have access to breakfast at school.

Source: Julia Salo’mon, School Breakfast Specialist, UW-Extension