DeLauro Celebrates National School Breakfast Week

NEW HAVEN, CT — Today Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) visited Fair Haven School in New Haven to celebrate National School Breakfast Week and eat breakfast with students in the free breakfast program. This year, National School Breakfast Week is March 7-11 and the theme is “Wake Up to School Breakfast.”

Studies have found that students who eat school breakfast attend on average 1.5 more days of school per year and score 17.5 percent higher on standardized math tests. Students with access to school breakfast are also more likely to have a better overall diet and a lower body mass index (BMI) than nonparticipants.

“The School Breakfast Program is vital in our fight to combat childhood hunger— no child should be so hungry that they cannot focus in school. For children, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Studies have found that students who consume breakfast make greater strides on standardized tests, pay attention and behave better in class, and are less frequently late, absent, or visiting the school nurse,” said Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro. “We must support programs that keep our children healthy and fed, and make robust investments in child nutrition. I will continue to support the School Breakfast program, as well as any program that helps our students succeed.”

“We are very proud of our food program in New Haven, where we strive to serve fresh and healthy meals to our students every day. We know that the health and well-being of our students is a critical aspect of their education and through our food program and other wellness initiatives, we strive to serve the whole child as we prepare every student for success in college, career, and life,” said Garth Harries, Superintendent of New Haven Public Schools. “Congresswoman DeLauro has been a fierce advocate for our program, and has worked hard for the funds necessary to expand our summer program, supper program, after school snack, fresh fruits and vegetables, and salad bar initiatives, and many other supports for our students.”

“We’re happy to be here today to celebrate National School Breakfast Week with a district that excels at ensuring kids get a healthy morning meal as part of their school day. School breakfast is proven to be a tool for academic success, as students who participate can think better, focus better, and do better on tests. We commend New Haven Public Schools and the staff at Fair Haven School for embracing school breakfast and all it has to offer,” said Dawn Crayco, Deputy Director of End Hunger Connecticut!.

The USDA is celebrating 50 years of the school breakfast program. Participation in this program has increased by almost 27 percent and now over 14 million students are now eating school breakfast each day. Last year, over 2.3 billion breakfasts were served by more than 90,000 schools and child care sites, including at Fair Haven School in New Haven. Of students eating these breakfasts, over 10.1 million received their meals free or at a reduced price.

The School Breakfast Program operates in the same way as the National School Lunch program. Schools receive cash reimbursements for each breakfast served – they receive $1.66 for free breakfasts, $1.36 for reduced-price breakfasts, and $0.29 for paid breakfasts. In return, schools must serve breakfasts that meet federal requirements, and must offer free or reduced price breakfasts to eligible children.