Hunger Solutions New York provides schools and community-based organizations with school meals tools and resources including reports, county- and district-level data, outreach materials, and individualized assistance.
School Meals
Healthy School Meals for All Statewide Campaign
New York must ensure all children in our state have access to healthy school meals at no cost. Learn more and join us
Breakfast and Lunch Programs
The National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs help ensure children are well nourished and ready to learn. These federally-funded programs serve students in public and nonprofit private schools, and residential child-care institutions. Both require schools to offer meals at free and reduced-price rates and to meet federal nutrition requirements. These programs have been proven to reduce hunger, support good nutrition, improve health outcomes, and bolster student success.
School Breakfast Program
This federally funded program helps ensure no child starts the school day hungry. Schools who serve breakfast outside of the cafeteria and after the start of the school day reach the most students with a healthy breakfast.
Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)
High-poverty schools can use this federal provision to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students and streamline and simplify the administration of their breakfast and lunch programs.
National School Lunch Program
An affordable, healthy lunch is available each school day to millions of students thanks to this program. Students from low-income households receive lunch for free or at a reduced price.
OVERVIEW
564,133
564,133 students eat free or reduced-price breakfast through the School Breakfast Program
50%
Only 50% of students who eat free or reduced-price lunch also participated in breakfast.
1.7 Million
Over 1.7 million students in New York State attend a school that provides free breakfast and lunch via CEP
92.8%
92.8% of eligible CEP schools are participating in the provision
Watch
New York State is proudly promoting the benefits of School Breakfast and Breakfast After the Bell.
We can help
We can provide you with resources, data, and best-practices to improve participation in school meal programs. We provide tailored one-on-one assistance to schools, supported by extensive district-level analysis, to help:
- Increase access to and participation in the School Breakfast Program
- Implement alternative breakfast service models
- Offer universal meals through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)
- Maximize direct certification, program participation, and funding for successful meal programs.
Contact Jessica Pino-Goodspeed, Deputy Director of Public Affairs.
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