A student showing up for morning class hungry should be a non-issue in America’s land of plenty. But the sight is still all too familiar in South Florida public school, says Miami Social Worker Nancie Tobias.
“A significant number of Miami-Dade students of all ages, and all races – many from low-income neighborhoods – leave home without breakfast or at most a hot or cold beverage,” says Tobias. This problem continues statewide, with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer reporting that one in four children struggle with hunger, but only 43 percent of kids eligible for free or reduced priced school lunch are getting a school breakfast.
Part of the reason why, explains Tobias, is that although there is a federal funded breakfast program in South Florida schools, “often kids arrive at their schools late and miss the serving of this breakfast.”
This proves true for South Miami resident Mabel Proute, a hotel chamber-maid and mother of three public school students.
“It’s difficult to provide my kids with breakfast each morning,” says Proute. “I try to provide a good dinner, but cannot always afford breakfast. I encourage them to reach school early to get the school breakfast.”
No Kid Hungry, in collaboration with Florida Impact, is working to relieve this, with a new aggressive program expanding student access to breakfast.
“If we can make the school breakfast program more accessible, Miami-Dade can connect children with the healthy food they need each morning,” said Debra Susie, President/CEO for Florida Impact. “When school districts try innovative ways to serve children outside the cafeteria and after the first bell, we see a dramatic jump in kids eating breakfast.”
Florida Impact spokesperson Sandy Saintilus said the organizations are currently working with local schools to identify reasons why some students are not getting breakfast, and implement solutions. Florida Impact is one of six organizations through the No Kid Hungry, national Share Our Strength campaign to receive funding to implement a strategy to end childhood hunger.
“We know kids need a meal each morning to learn,” said Adrienne Allen, a director of the local No Kid Hungry. “We have seen the positive impact being served with school breakfast has on students’ classroom participation in school district after school district.”
