The following is a guest blog post from Craig Coughlin, the Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly:
There are endless benefits to school breakfast. Here in the state of New Jersey we recognize the importance of our kids starting their day with a healthy meal.
When students have access to nutritious, quality breakfast, they are well-prepared to engage in learning and participate in their classrooms with their peers.
Studies show that breakfast in schools improves attendance, allows fewer trips to the school nurse and builds lifelong healthy eating habits. There are numerous benefits to instilling these habits in the next generation of leaders.
Sadly, there are too many factual connections between food insecurity and children’s behavior. Among low-income families with children, there is an increased possibility of low food security. Students struggling with food insecurity may have difficulty being engaged in the classroom. Food insecurity negatively impacts the social, emotional, and behavioral development of school-age children. These negative effects can last through adolescent years and interfere with learning and academic success.
When we provide kids with a meal at school, we are giving parents one less problem to worry about. We are helping families to overcome financial burdens and giving them the opportunity to spend funds on other necessities.
Many organizations, including Hunger Free NJ, have taken notice of the importance of students’ access to food and nourishment. It is because of their advocacy work that children aren’t missing meals and families have access to food across our state.
Tackling the issue of hunger is not easy. I’ve introduced legislation, visited various pantries and met with many stakeholders to find how we can better help families. This includes making sure pantries are fully stocked, eliminating food deserts and promoting public awareness campaigns.
As legislators, we play a role in ensuring schools have the funding they need to help children succeed and laws are in place that will tackle issues related to poverty and hunger.
That is why I am proud of the school breakfast bill signed into law in New Jersey on May 30, 2018, giving tens of thousands more New Jersey kids a healthy start to their school day.
The law requires schools with at least 70% of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals to provide breakfast during the school day. An estimated 500 schools educating nearly 308,000 students are required to serve breakfast after the bell.
Breakfast after the bell is the most effective way to ensure that all students have the morning nutrition they need to concentrate, learn and succeed in school.
My hope is that every child, not only in the state of New Jersey, but in our nation, will have proper access to nutritious and healthy food and we can continue to work together to end hunger. It’s an honor and privilege to lead this fight as Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly.
