'got breakfast?'(TM) Foundation Issues Statement on Recently Released Florida State Plan of Action from the Governor's Council on Physic...(money to allow theirchildren to buy them...),Health

"got breakfast?" is a 501 (c)(3) foundation that was launched in 2005 to help the millions of students who qualify for a free or reduced-price breakfast through the School Breakfast Program access the meals they are not receiving. The connection between childhood hunger and poor educational performance is well documented and established. Studies demonstrate that starting the day with a healthy breakfast helps children concentrate, solve problems, be creative and learn.

Out of 55 million children who attend school in the United States, 22 million are eligible for free or reduced price meals, which include school breakfast and school lunch. Of these 22 million eligible kids, only 7.7 million utilize the school breakfast program. That means approximately 14.5 million students who are able to receive free or reduced priced breakfast meals in the morning are not getting them. A majority of the children not accessing breakfast are low-income students who are the most susceptible to childhood obesity.

When students fail to access school breakfast, school districts are also missing out on funds allotted to them by the Federal government. The School Breakfast Program provides Federal reimbursement to schools for each meal served; when schools increase the number of students eating breakfast, they see an increase in funds. According to the Food Research and Action Center, more than $500 million in federal funding available to provide school breakfast to children in need is not being accessed.

For information on how the School Breakfast Program, Universal School Breakfast or tips on how to increase student participation in breakfast please go to