bridging the gap - hunger solutions new york · bridging . the gap: ending student hunger . with...

20
1 Bridging the Gap: Ending Student Hunger with Breakfast After the Bell 2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT

Upload: others

Post on 27-May-2020

8 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Bridging the Gap - Hunger Solutions New York · Bridging . the Gap: Ending Student Hunger . with Breakfast After the Bell. 2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT. 2 “When we

1

Bridging the Gap:

Ending Student Hunger with Breakfast After the Bell2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT

Page 2: Bridging the Gap - Hunger Solutions New York · Bridging . the Gap: Ending Student Hunger . with Breakfast After the Bell. 2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT. 2 “When we

2

“When we say we want our students to be successful, we mean that we want

the whole child to succeed. Hunger can be a profound obstacle not just to childhood learning, but also to health. With breakfast in the classroom, we clear a pathway to help students reach their full academic, social, and physical potential, and with that clear path schools can actually get to learning and enrichment in a more profound and productive way.”

—Jason A. Andrews Ed. D Superintendent of Schools Windsor Central School District

Page 3: Bridging the Gap - Hunger Solutions New York · Bridging . the Gap: Ending Student Hunger . with Breakfast After the Bell. 2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT. 2 “When we

1

Overview New York State continues to underperform in reaching low-income children with free and reduced-price breakfast. On an average day during the the 2016-17 school year, less than 1 in 3 low-income students ate free and reduced- price school breakfast. Our failure to reach low-income students with school breakfast has resulted in New York State ranking 35th in a national evaluation of state’s performance in school breakfast.

The problem is clear: students starting their school day hungry is an unacceptable reality. 1 in 5 NYS children are food insecure, meaning they lack access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Statewide, 63%—over 1.6 million students—enrolled in public schools qualify for free and reduced-price meals.

Schools are on the front line of alleviating childhood hunger, and the federal and state funded school breakfast and lunch programs provide the nourishment low-income children cannot always get at home. Over two-thirds (66%) of low-income children participate in lunch, while only one-third (32%) participate in breakfast.

There is good news. Many schools across New York State are closing the participation gap between breakfast and lunch. School districts that are leading the state with strong breakfast participation have implemented universal Breakfast After the Bell programs—where breakfast is offered to all students at no cost, after the official start of the school day.

While the local growth in school breakfast participation in these districts has been robust, substantial growth in statewide school breakfast participation has yet to be realized. Building upon the success of universal, Breakfast After the Bell at the local level provides clear, concrete steps toward expanding student access to school breakfast and improving statewide participation.

State legislation to require universal Breakfast After the Bell is the most efficient and cost effective way to reach more low-income children with school breakfast. Current school breakfast law requires schools with 40% or more students qualifying for free and reduced-price school meals to operate the School Breakfast Program, with the state contributing additional funding for every breakfast served. This policy does not provide guidance on timing of when school breakfast is served. Typically school breakfast is offered in the cafeteria before the start of the school day, and before most children even arrive for school.

NO STUDENT GOES HUNGRY

In January 2018, Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed a five-point plan to address student hunger, including a requirement that Breakfast After the Bell be offered in schools with 70% or more free and reduced-price eligible students. The “No Student Goes Hungry” proposal ensures that high-need schools are offering breakfast in a way that is accessible to all students. It provides policy makers, advocates, educators, school districts, and state and federal child nutrition agencies with directives and resources to help more low-income kids start the day ready to learn with a healthy breakfast.

Page 4: Bridging the Gap - Hunger Solutions New York · Bridging . the Gap: Ending Student Hunger . with Breakfast After the Bell. 2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT. 2 “When we

2

Statewide School Breakfast Participation We analyzed data from all New York State public schools operating a school breakfast program. In the 2016-17 school year, 32% of students who qualified for free and reduced-price meals ate school breakfast on average each day. This represents an increase of 32,320 additional students eating free and reduced-price school breakfast from the previous school year. These gains are attributed in large part to implementation of Breakfast After the Bell in New York City elementary schools. Our school district-level analysis of school breakfast participation can be found at SchoolMealsHubNY.org.

2015-2016 School Year

2016-2017 School Year

Schools Operating the School Breakfast Program 4,880 4,912

Students enrolled 2,544,867 2,565,012

Overall average daily participation in school breakfast 566,267 (22%) 601,261 (23%)

Free and reduced-price (F/RP) eligible students 1,589,299 1,617,138

F/RP average daily participation in school breakfast 484,178 (30%) 516,498 (32%)

Page 5: Bridging the Gap - Hunger Solutions New York · Bridging . the Gap: Ending Student Hunger . with Breakfast After the Bell. 2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT. 2 “When we

3

School Breakfast BasicsThe School Breakfast Program is a federally-funded meal program for students in public, nonprofit private, and residential child-care institutions. On the federal level, it is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, and on the state level, by the New York State Education Department. The program requires schools to offer meals at free and reduced-price rates and to meet federal nutrition requirements.

PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL BREAKFAST

Any student attending a school that offers the program can eat breakfast. What the federal government covers, and what the student pays, depends on family income.

Children from families with incomes:

• At or below 130% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) are eligible for free school meals.

• Between 130% and 185% of the FPL qualify for reduced-price meals and can be charged no more than 25 cents for breakfast.

• Above 185% of the FPL pay charges (referred to as paid meals), which are set by the school.

CERTIFICATION FOR FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE MEALS

Children are certified for free or reduced-price school meals by submitting a school meal application collected by the school district any time during the year. Certain students are “categorically eligible” (automatically

eligible) for free school meals and can be certified without submitting an application. Categorically eligible students include:

• Children who live in a household that participates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), and in certain instances, Medicaid.

• Foster youth, migrant, homeless, or runaway youth, and Head Start participants.

ON THE MENU

Each breakfast served through the School Breakfast Program must meet federal nutrition guidelines, which include fruits and/or vegetables, a whole-grain-rich item, a meat or meat alternative and low-fat/non-fat milk. Meal nutrition standards also limit calories and sodium.

FUNDING

Schools receive state and federal reimbursement for each breakfast served. The reimbursement amount varies based on a student’s qualification for free, reduced-price, or paid meals. “Severe-need” schools receive an additional 33 cents in federal reimbursement for each free and reduced-price breakfast served. Schools are considered severe need if at least 40% of the lunches served the previous school year were free or reduced-price.

Meal Category

Federal ReimbursementNew York State Reimbursement

Total Reimbursement

Non-Severe Severe Non-Severe Severe

Free $1.71 $2.04 $.10 $1.81 $2.14

Reduced-Price $1.41 $1.74 $.15 $1.56 $1.89

Paid $0.29 $0.29 $.00 $0.29 $0.29

Reimbursement for the 2016-17 school year (per breakfast served):

Page 6: Bridging the Gap - Hunger Solutions New York · Bridging . the Gap: Ending Student Hunger . with Breakfast After the Bell. 2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT. 2 “When we

4

“My stomach hurts.”

“I wish they would shut up.”

“Please don’t call on me.”

“I just want to sleep.”

“I can’t remember the answer.”

“Can I go to the nurse?”

“Do you have a snack?”

Hunger affects 1 in 5 children in New York. A robust body of research supports what educators and school officials see every day in New York’s schools: hunger has a profound impact on children’s physical, emotional and mental development. Child hunger is often associated with nutrient deficiencies, lower grades, higher rates of absenteeism, repeating a grade, anxiety, depression, and difficulty focusing among students.

Hunger’s Impact on Students

PROLONGED HUNGER CAUSES TOXIC STRESS

Extensive research on the biology of stress shows that healthy development can be disrupted by excessive or prolonged triggering of stress response systems in the body and brain.

Toxic stress response can occur when a child experiences strong, frequent, and/or prolonged adversity, such as the accumulated burdens of family economic hardship. Hunger-related toxic stress can negatively affect brain development, learning, information processing, and academic achievement in children.

Page 7: Bridging the Gap - Hunger Solutions New York · Bridging . the Gap: Ending Student Hunger . with Breakfast After the Bell. 2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT. 2 “When we

5

“I love eating breakfast with my teacher!”

“I know! Pick me!”

“I love coming to school.”

“I can help you.”

“Math is my favorite subject.”

“I like yogurt the best.”

“I feel strong and ready.”

A well-nourished child who has breakfast, especially during the instructional day, is more likely to attend school, be an active learner, exhibit better concentration and behavior, and score higher on tests. School breakfast protects children against the impact of hunger, improves students’ academic performance, and supports children’s overall health.

The Benefits of School Breakfast

“I have seen there is little that takes as much away from learning as an empty stomach. When we feed our children before we expect them to learn and perform, we level the playing field. The breakfast after the bell program has given a humanity and a lift up to those who are quietly surviving without what they need.”

—Molly Goosman, Assistant Principal Homer Brink School, Maine-Endwell Central School District

Page 8: Bridging the Gap - Hunger Solutions New York · Bridging . the Gap: Ending Student Hunger . with Breakfast After the Bell. 2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT. 2 “When we

6

School Breakfast GapThe School Breakfast Gap refers to the disparity between breakfast and lunch participation among students who qualify for free and reduced-price (F/RP) school meals.

Participation in the National School Lunch Program tells us how many students could and should be benefiting from free and reduced-price school breakfast each day. Due to broad participation in the program, school lunch is used as a national benchmark to measure each state’s performance in reaching vulnerable students with school breakfast.

MEASURING THE GAP

The school breakfast gap is measured by comparing the number of low-income children who eat school breakfast with the number of low-income children who eat school lunch. The national benchmark for strong participation in the School Breakfast Program is reaching 70% of free and reduced-price lunch participants with free and reduced-price breakfast.

New York State is consistently among the lowest performing states in the country in reaching vulnerable students with free and reduced-price school breakfast. In the 2016-17 school year, New York ranked 35th in a national analysis by the Food Research Action Center. While the state has improved from 42nd in the nation in the 2015-16 school year, much work still needs to be done to establish a statewide foundation for improved breakfast participation.

Less than half of students who should receive free and reduced-price breakfast each day participate. Statewide, only 48% of students who ate free and reduced-price lunch also participated in breakfast during the 2016-17 school year.

THE COST OF THE GAP

Low participation in school breakfast translates not only to lost opportunity to address hunger, but also to lost funding. Strong breakfast participation among low-income students allows schools to operate viable and sustainable breakfast programs. Failure to reach students with free and reduced-price breakfast has led to the forfeiture of millions of dollars in federal reimbursements. This funding is designated to support school meal programs by improving service models, equipment, and meal quality. In the 2016-17 school year, NYS public schools missed out on $64.9 million in federal reimbursements.

“My mission is to ensure that race, economics, and disability no longer serve as predictors of student achievement. A key component in fulfilling this mission is the Universal After the Bell breakfast program. As the superintendent, it is my responsibility to remove any and all barriers that might prevent each and every student from getting breakfast during the school day.”

—Laurence T. Spring, Superintendent of Schools, Schenectady City School District

CLOSING THE GAP IN ACTION:

Schenectady City School District

Year 5 of Universal Breakfast After the Bell (CEP)

74% Breakfast vs Lunch Participation

Page 9: Bridging the Gap - Hunger Solutions New York · Bridging . the Gap: Ending Student Hunger . with Breakfast After the Bell. 2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT. 2 “When we

7

Kids eating F/RP

school lunch

This is the School Breakfast Gap.

If this number were raised to 70% of kids who eat lunch,

It represents the kids who could be eating school breakfast, but are not. It is a measure of the lost opportunity to reduce child hunger.

an additional 227,024 kidswould eat school breakfast and start their school day hunger-free.

IN NEW YORK STATE, ON AVERAGE EACH DAY:

Page 10: Bridging the Gap - Hunger Solutions New York · Bridging . the Gap: Ending Student Hunger . with Breakfast After the Bell. 2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT. 2 “When we

8

“My bus is always

late.”

“I don’t want my

friends to know we’re

poor.”

“I’m afraid to miss

morning bell.”

“I don’t like standing

in line with the big kids.”

Traditional breakfast, served in the cafeteria before the start of the school day, creates barriers to participation, such as:

• Buses not arriving in time for kids to eat before class

• Long cafeteria lines

• Pressure to get to class on time

• Social stigma that school breakfast is only for “poor kids”

• Financial difficulty affording the reduced-price copayment

Page 11: Bridging the Gap - Hunger Solutions New York · Bridging . the Gap: Ending Student Hunger . with Breakfast After the Bell. 2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT. 2 “When we

9

Closing the School Breakfast Gap

The key to strong breakfast participation is access.

“I don’t have money for breakfast.”

The school breakfast gap exists due to the barriers associated with traditional school breakfast. Evidence demonstrates that once access to breakfast is improved, breakfast participation will exponentially increase. Best practice for increasing access includes two key strategies: Breakfast After the Bell programming and offering free breakfast to all students. Schools that offer breakfast at no cost to all students have higher breakfast participation, especially when breakfast is served in the classroom.

“When kids miss breakfast because of logistical issues—like late buses, cafeteria capacity, etc.—these are adult problems. These adult problems have kid consequences. In Rochester, our role, as adults, is to remove any barrier that prevents a child from accessing school breakfast. Our “First Class” Breakfast in the Classroom is creating an environment where students do not need to deal with logistics—they just need to eat.”

—Gemma Humphries, Director of School Food Services, Field Operations and Facilities Management, Rochester City School District

CLOSING THE GAP IN ACTION:

Rochester City School District

Universal Breakfast After the Bell (CEP)

80% Breakfast vs Lunch Participation

Page 12: Bridging the Gap - Hunger Solutions New York · Bridging . the Gap: Ending Student Hunger . with Breakfast After the Bell. 2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT. 2 “When we

10

Tools for Closing the School Breakfast Gap

BREAKFAST AFTER THE BELL

Breakfast After the Bell offers school breakfast after the start of the instructional school day. Schools can offer Breakfast After the Bell using alternative breakfast service models. These models shift away from traditional, cafeteria-based school breakfast offered before the start of the school day to providing breakfast during times of learning. Each model can be tailored to individual schools’ needs. The most effective strategies are:

Breakfast in the Classroom

Meals can either be delivered to the classroom, served from the cafeteria or from carts in the hallway. All food is eaten in the classroom at the start of the school day.

Grab and Go

Students pick up breakfast from conveniently located carts, kiosks, or vending machines in high traffic areas, to eat in their classroom.

Second Chance Breakfast

Also called “breakfast after first period” or “mid-morning nutrition break,” this model extends breakfast service in the cafeteria past homeroom or first period, and is predominantly used in middle and high schools.

“The benefits of more students eating school breakfast in Newburgh are far reaching. Not only are we making sure our students have a solid, nutritionally-sound start to their school day, but we have turned around the financial viability of our school meal program. Strong participation in breakfast has allowed me to reinvest into my meal program to update and revitalize infrastructure while also improving the quality of my meals. I can now serve healthier meals, expand Breakfast After the Bell in our middle and high schools, and continue to improve the school meal experience for our students.”

—Caitlin Lazarski, Food Service Director, Newburgh Enlarged City School District

CLOSING THE GAP IN ACTION:

Newburgh Enlarged City School DistrictRanked 3rd in the nation for school breakfast participation in large districts by the Food Research and Action Center

Year 3 of Universal Breakfast After the Bell (CEP)

90% Breakfast vs Lunch Participation

Page 13: Bridging the Gap - Hunger Solutions New York · Bridging . the Gap: Ending Student Hunger . with Breakfast After the Bell. 2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT. 2 “When we

11

UNIVERSAL SCHOOL BREAKFAST

Universal school breakfast allows schools to offer breakfast at no charge to all students and optimizes the impact of switching to one of the aforementioned alternative breakfast models. It also eliminates the stigma that breakfast is just for “poor kids” and the burden of collecting fees, all of which boosts school breakfast participation.

Schools and districts can decide among several methods for offering breakfast at no charge:

WE CAN HELP DISTRICTS USE THESE TOOLS TO CLOSE THE SCHOOL BREAKFAST GAP.

Hunger Solutions New York works to ensure every New York State student has access to school breakfast. We provide policy recommendations and assistance with implementation of both universal breakfast and Breakfast After the Bell. We also connect school districts with tools, resources, and one-on-one support to maximize access to school breakfast so that every student starts the school day free from hunger, properly nourished and prepared for a day of learning.

To learn more and find your school district’s participation data, visit SchoolMealsHubNY.org

Also known as CEP, this is a federal provision that allows schools with a high percentage of students from low-income households to offer both breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students. Any district, group of schools in a district, or individual school with 40% or more “identified students” (also referred to as “categorically eligible students”) can choose to participate in CEP. Schools using CEP no longer need to collect, certify or verify school meal applications; counting and claiming is simplified.

Community Eligibility Provision Provision 2

Non-Pricing

This is a federal option that allows schools to serve breakfast, lunch, or both to all students at no charge.It operates on a four-year cycle, with the first year determining reimbursement for the subsequent three years. Schools using Provision 2 need to collect school meal applications in year one (the “base year”) and counting and claiming is simplified.

In this model, schools determine how to pay for universal meals. The application and meal tracking processes are consistent with the School Breakfast Program, where schools collect school meal applications each year and keep track of the number of meals served by fee category (free, reduced-price, or paid), however, no fees are collected from students. Schools with a high percentage of free and reduced-price eligible children are generally able to make up any lost revenue from paid and reduced-price meal fees due to increased participation and resulting economies of scale.

Page 14: Bridging the Gap - Hunger Solutions New York · Bridging . the Gap: Ending Student Hunger . with Breakfast After the Bell. 2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT. 2 “When we

12

Maine-Endwell Central School DistrictUniversal Method: Provision 2

Breakfast after the Bell Models:Breakfast in the Classroom (PreK-5) and Grab & Go Vending (6-12)

Result: 206% increase in school breakfast participation

“I love that all students, regardless of their economic status, have the opportunity to get a healthy breakfast right in our room every morning. It has eliminated the stigma that often came along with eating in the cafeteria and mornings have become a positive, social time where every student in my class feels included. Students are also more alert, focused and productive throughout the morning.”

—Maggie McCoy, 5th Grade Teacher, Homer Brink Elementary School, Maine-Endwell CSD

Windsor Central School DistrictUniversal Method: Provision 2

Breakfast after the Bell Models:Breakfast in the Classroom (Pre-K-5), Grab & Go (6-12), and Second Chance Breakfast (9-12)

Result: 177% increase in school breakfast participation

“One thing that separates Windsor from other districts is the 100% buy-in we received from the entire district. The Board of Education, superintendent, administrators, teachers and support staff see how important Breakfast after the Bell and Breakfast in the Classroom is for the students we serve. Everyone is in-volved with its success.”

—Andrea Hudock, Food Service Supervisor, Windsor Central School District

Breakfast Growth LeadersThese districts have led the state with strong growth in school breakfast participation in the 2016-17 school year. Each achieved significant gains in participation with the implementation of both Breakfast After the Bell models and universal school breakfast.

Page 15: Bridging the Gap - Hunger Solutions New York · Bridging . the Gap: Ending Student Hunger . with Breakfast After the Bell. 2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT. 2 “When we

13

Lockport City School DistrictUniversal Method: Community Eligibility Provision

Breakfast After the Bell Models:Breakfast in the Classroom (K-8), Grab & Go (9-12), and Second Chance Breakfast (7-12)

Result: 83% increase in school breakfast participation

“It is very kind of them to give us breakfast in the morning. We love that we can eat breakfast at school in our classroom!”

—Jack, elementary student, Lockport City School District

Page 16: Bridging the Gap - Hunger Solutions New York · Bridging . the Gap: Ending Student Hunger . with Breakfast After the Bell. 2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT. 2 “When we

14

Action Plan for Closing the School Breakfast Gap

First and foremost, New York must enact Breakfast After the Bell legislation for the highest poverty schools (70% F/RP eligible and above), enabling them to deliver a breakfast program that reaches more students. By requiring schools with significant populations of low-income students to offer breakfast at no charge and during the instructional school day, New York can take a concrete step toward eradicating hunger in our classrooms.

States that require Breakfast After the Bell and universal breakfast, like West Virginia and New Mexico, now lead the national ranking for school breakfast participation.

Enact Breakfast After the Bell Legislation

Governor Cuomo’s No Student Goes Hungry proposal establishes a foundation to significantly expand breakfast participation in New York state public schools. The proposal builds on current school breakfast policy by expanding student access and providing schools with resources and technical assistance to start up their programs. The proposal applies to at least 1,400 schools. If each of these schools closed the school breakfast gap, nearly 109,000 additional children would eat school breakfast each day, ensuring a nutritious meal for students who need it most.

Page 17: Bridging the Gap - Hunger Solutions New York · Bridging . the Gap: Ending Student Hunger . with Breakfast After the Bell. 2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT. 2 “When we

15

Offer Universal Breakfast in All High-Poverty Schools

Offer Breakfast After the Bell in schools with 60% or more F/RP Eligible Students

Schools with 60-69% of free and reduced-price eligible students, who consequently fall outside of the No Student Goes Hungry proposal, should incorporate Breakfast After the Bell models into their school day.

Schools with 70% or more free and reduced-price eligible students should offer free breakfast to all their students. Schools with 60-69% free and reduced-price eligible students should also explore options to offer free breakfast to all students. In the 2016-17 school year, over half (52%) of schools with free and reduced-price

—Newburgh Enlarged City School District

rates at or above 60% offered free breakfast—1,451 schools utilized the Community Eligibility Provision and 99 schools used Provision 2. This demonstrates significant opportunities for growth in the number of schools who can provide free breakfast to all students.

In order to close the school breakfast gap in New York State, more must be done beyond the current and proposed state legislation. To further close the gap:

Page 18: Bridging the Gap - Hunger Solutions New York · Bridging . the Gap: Ending Student Hunger . with Breakfast After the Bell. 2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT. 2 “When we

16

ConclusionHunger remains an unacceptable reality for 1 in 5 children in New York State. Hunger impedes learning and achievement in our schools and has a profound impact on children’s health and development. These problems can be addressed, in part, with higher participation in the School Breakfast Program among low-income students.

New York State is poised to turn around years of stagnant growth in school breakfast participation. The impact will be felt in ways that can be measured—NYS ranking on breakfast participation, an increase in the number of children eating a healthy morning meal, and additional federal reimbursement coming to the highest need schools. But as many school leaders know, the effects that matter most are these: children who are no longer plagued by hunger and can focus on their lessons; teachers who see improvements in classroom attentiveness and behavior; schools with higher attendance and better academic performance, and struggling families with a safety net that can help lift them out of poverty.

New York State must make increasing access and participation in the School Breakfast Program a priority. These meaningful and achievable goals can be realized by closing the school breakfast gap with universal, Breakfast After the Bell programming in our highest-need schools.

Page 19: Bridging the Gap - Hunger Solutions New York · Bridging . the Gap: Ending Student Hunger . with Breakfast After the Bell. 2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT. 2 “When we

17Newburgh Enlarged City School District

Page 20: Bridging the Gap - Hunger Solutions New York · Bridging . the Gap: Ending Student Hunger . with Breakfast After the Bell. 2018 NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BREAKFAST REPORT. 2 “When we

18

Acknowledgements Hunger Solutions New York, Inc., greatly appreciates the support of the many public agencies, private foundations and individuals who have made this publication possible. We acknowledge the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and the United States Department of Agriculture, the support of our partners in our Campaign to End Hunger: the Food Research and Action Center, The Walmart Foundation, Share Our Strength, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, Albertsons Companies Foundation, and many individual donors throughout the state.

In particular, we acknowledge the New York State Education Department for their administrative efforts to promote and protect the integrity of the School Breakfast Program in New York State, in addition to providing the data on which this report is based.

Special recognition also goes to Broome-Tioga BOCES Food Service, Lockport City School District, Newburgh Enlarged City School District, Maine-Endwell Central School District, Rochester City School District, Schenectady City School District, and Windsor Central School District for their contributions to this report.

Hunger Solutions New York Child Nutrition Specialist Jessica L. Pino-Goodspeed, LMSW, is the lead author of this report.

About UsHunger Solutions New York is a caring and informed voice for hungry New Yorkers. We promote:

• Awareness of hunger in communities across the state

• Awareness about programs that address chronic and crisis hunger

• Participation in nutrition assistance programs for all who are eligible

• Public policies that contribute to ending hunger

• Awareness of the health, economic and educational benefits of nutrition assistance programs

These efforts improve the health and well-being of New Yorkers while boosting local economies throughout the state.

For more information about Hunger Solutions New York or to sign up for our electronic mailing list, visit HungerSolutionsNY.org. Please also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Linda Bopp Executive Director

14 Computer Dr ive East • A lbany, NY 12205 • 518-436-8757