“This budget will build more equity in New York City schools and make sure more children in NYC get the morning nutrition they need,” says No Kid Hungry New York Director Rachel Sabella.
Contact: Christy Felling at cfelling@strength.org
NEW YORK CITY – New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson today announced an agreement on the Fiscal Year 2020 New York City budget which includes the restoration of $6 million in funding for Breakfast in the Classroom, the program that brings school breakfast to more of the students who need it. The following is a statement from Rachel Sabella, Director of the No Kid Hungry campaign in New York:
"On behalf of children across New York City, No Kid Hungry would like to thank Mayor Bill de Blasio, Speaker Corey Johnson and the entire New York City Council for their commitment to Breakfast in the Classroom in the FY20 New York City budget. By restoration $6 million in funding for this important program, the city will be able to make even more significant progress in reaching students with the school breakfast they need.
"One in 5 children in New York City lives in a family that struggles with hunger. School breakfast is one of the most effective tools we have in the fight against childhood hunger. Too often, however, this breakfast doesn’t reach the students who need it. In schools where breakfast is still served in the cafeteria, before the school day begins, the program is severely underutilized.
"Serving it in the classroom, as a natural part of the school day, has become an essential tool in building greater equity among students. It is one of the most inclusive ways to ensure that all students are starting the day ready to learn, regardless of family income.
"In 2015, New York City took the strong, proactive step of requiring breakfast to be served in the classroom in all stand-alone elementary schools. Hundreds of schools in New York City already have Breakfast in the Classroom and it has resulted in significantly more children eating breakfast. Today’s agreement will allow this progress to continue.
"This budget will help more children in New York City start the school day ready to learn. There is still much more work to be done, however, to continue to scale this program to reach all of the kids who need it. In the coming months, No Kid Hungry is looking forward to working with the City of New York and other partners to make sure students get the breakfast they need to focus, learn, and grow up strong."
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About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But 1 in 6 kids will face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger through effective programs that provide kids with the food they need. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization working to end hunger and poverty. Join us at NoKidHungry.org