DALLAS, March 7, 2022 – The Southwest Regional Office (SWRO) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) recognizes National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) – March 7-11. This year’s national theme is Take Off with School Breakfast highlighting the importance of school breakfast and its value in improving children’s health and educational outcomes.
A top FNS priority for 2022 is continuing USDA’s focus on nutrition security, not just for the duration of the pandemic, but well into the future to make sure all programs USDA offers are providing access to nutritious food for all those in need.
“The School Breakfast Program plays a critical role in feeding youth across the Southwest Region,” said USDA FNS Southwest Regional Administrator Bill Ludwig. “A healthy school breakfast is a great way for our youth to start their school day for energy and academic success – and we’re thankful to our child nutrition partners who are helping to provide healthy well-balanced meals to youth across the region and our great nation.”
The Southwest Region (Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah) served school breakfast to an estimated 2.8 million children every school day in school year 2019-2020. Nationally, the School Breakfast Program (SBP) provides school breakfast to nearly 12.4 million children in nearly 100,000 schools.
According to studies, children who eat breakfast also have improved moods and increased alertness throughout the morning. Additionally, students who participate in the School Breakfast Program (SBP) eat a breakfast of higher nutritional quality than students who eat breakfast elsewhere.
Schools and institutions that choose to participate in the SBP must serve breakfasts that meet the federal nutrition requirements and offer them at a free or reduced price to all eligible children. In exchange, participating institutions receive cash subsidies from USDA for each reimbursable meal served.
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SBP started in 1966 as a pilot project and was made a permanent program by Congress in 1975. The program provides reimbursement to states to operate nonprofit breakfast programs in schools and residential childcare institutions. FNS administers the program at the federal level. State education agencies administer the program at the state level, and local school food authorities operate the program in area public and private schools, and residential childcare facilities which elect to participate in the School Breakfast Program.
USDA is continuing to provide program operators with support, resources, and flexibilities so they can ensure the children in their care are well-nourished and able to learn, even in new and ever-changing learning environments. Many flexibilities have been offered in response to COVID-19 for the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and Child and Adult Care Food Program. These flexibilities include:
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Allowing meals to be served outside of the typically required group setting.
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Allowing parent/guardian pick-up of meals.
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Waiving meal patterns when necessary.
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Allowing meals to be served outside of standard mealtimes; and
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Waiving the requirement that high school students be offered a variety of options to choose from for the reimbursable meal, which would be difficult in “grab n’ go” or situations where meals are served in the classroom.
Many school districts across the country are continuing to provide meals to students in need during school closures. Check for local programs in your area by using our Meals 4 Kids locator. For more information on the School Breakfast Program visit School Breakfast Program | Food and Nutrition Service (usda.gov).
