The School Breakfast Program in New York City Public Schools
Author | : |
Publisher | : |
Total Pages | : 15 |
Release | : 2012 |
ISBN-10 | : OCLC:799960700 |
ISBN-13 | : |
Rating | : 4/5 (00 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: Through the School Breakfast Program, New York City can ensure that over one million public school children receive a healthy breakfast at the start of each day. This task is critical, not only because breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but also because about 725,000 of New York City's public school children come from households with incomes low enough to qualify them for free or reduced-price meals. Despite these facts, New York City's school breakfast participation rate remains low. The number of children who participate in school breakfast can, however, be markedly increased through both the expansion of the BIC program and parental engagement. Also, further study about opinions of, and experiences with, BIC can provide insight into how to strengthen and expand this successful program, and ultimately school breakfast participation. Similarly, gathering information about New York City students' breakfast habits - the what, where, and why of their breakfasts - will facilitate a better understanding of the choices and needs of New York City's public school children and their families, which can ultimately help identify additional ways to use school-based programs and initiatives to address hunger and improve child nutrition. Overall, these steps present a significant opportunity to contribute to the food security and well-being of so many of New York City's children.