No Kid Hungry Missouri

The Problem * 1 in 5 kids in the US don’t get the food they need. * 3 out of 4 teachers say their students regularly come to school hungry. There is a persistent problem in our country. Across the nation, 1 in 5 kids don’t get the food they need. In our schools, 3 our of 4 teachers say their students are regularly coming to school hungry. Many of those same teachers keep a stash of healthy snacks for the kids who may not get breakfast otherwise. This is a solvable problem.

* Less than 50% of FRL eligible kids are eating school breakfast. The Problem * Less than 50% of FRL eligible kids are eating school breakfast. As proud as we are of our successes, Missouri is not immune from hunger. Everyday, less than 50% of kids eligible for a free or reduced price meal are eating school breakfast. Together, we can do better.

What We Do * Breakfast After the Bell * After school meals No Kid Hungry Missouri works with state agencies, schools, private organizations, businesses and individuals to break down barriers and implement common sense solutions to ensure kids have access to nutritious meals. * Breakfast After the Bell * After school meals * Summer meals No Kid Hungry Missouri works with state agencies, schools, private organizations, businesses and individuals to help break down barriers and implement common sense solutions to ensure kids have access to nutritious meals. Together, we can end childhood hunger in our great state.

Why it matters In 2013, No Kid Hungry partnered with Deloitte to conduct a social impact analysis of breakfast and found that: Kids who eat breakfast at school perform better on standardized tests Eating breakfast at school is associated with higher math grades and fewer errors It improves student alertness, concentration and memory And it positively affects behavior that allows for a better learning environment—lowers tardiness, reduces absenteeism and cuts down on the number of disciplinary referrals Increasing access to school breakfast is an important anti-hunger strategy but its also an important education strategy. More kids eating breakfast means: Higher Test scores, Fewer behavioral and disciplinary issues, Better attendance rates, which will ultimately lead to Higher graduation rates

Average Free/ Reduced Price Breakfast Participation by Model Type Impact Average Free/ Reduced Price Breakfast Participation by Model Type Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) Breakfast is served and consumed in the classroom Second Chance Breakfast Meals are served after first period Most successful models allow kids to eat in class Grab and Go Meals served in convenient, easy to access locations before and after the bell Most successful models allow kids to eat in class It’s easy to see the positive impacts eating breakfast can have on a child and on her education. But, the benefits don’t stop at academics. Implementing a breakfast after the bell model can dramatically increase participation rates for all students, regardless of their economic circumstances. Just last week while attending the DESE School Nutrition conference in Springfield, I heard one school nutrition director from a small southwestern school explain how breakfast participation in her school went from 17% to 86% within only 60 days after she implemented a Grab-n-Go breakfast model! That’s a 69% increase in 2 months! Imagine the what a similar increase in participation rates could do for your nutrition programs, and your revenues. I wasn’t the best math student, but this makes sense to me: The more breakfasts served equals lower per unit costs and greater reimbursement income. And the most effective way to increase breakfast participation is by combining a breakfast after the bell model with the Community Eligibility Program (CEP). CEP eliminates the bourdon of collecting household applications by relying on information from other means-tested programs such as SNAP and TANF. Schools with an identified student population of at least 40% are eligible for CEP and soon, thanks to a partnership with the Missouri Foundation for Health, certification and transition to CEP will be even easier by working with a CEP specialist conveniently located within DESE. Traditional Cafeteria

The Breakfast Challenge The Breakfast Challenge offers qualified schools funding to help make the switch to a breakfast after the bell model. * Up to $3000 * Incentives for top performing schools Breakfast after the bell makes sense. It leads to better health and educational outcomes for kids and it means healthier budgets for schools. But, with change comes expenses and we’re here to help with that too. The No Kid Hungry Breakfast Challenge offers funding to qualified schools to help offset the costs of making the switch. Starting today, schools with a Free and Reduced eligible population of at least 60% can apply for funding up to $3000 to cover the cost of equipment like rolling carts, kiosks, and insulated bags. Applications will be due no later than September 30, 2016. Thanks to our partnership with the Midwest Dairy Council we are also happy to to be able to offer incentives to the highest performing schools. As part of the Breakfast Challenge, participating schools who see the highest increases in breakfast participation over the school year will be eligible for awards of up to $1000.

No Kid Hungry Missouri