Children from low-income families who attend a school that offers free breakfasts do better academically in math, science, and reading, a new study reports.
Started by the federal government in 1966, the School Breakfast Program for children from low-income families is administered in coordination with state governments, many of which require local school districts to offer subsidized breakfasts if a certain percentage of their overall enrollment comes from families that meet income eligibility guidelines.
“These results suggest that the persistent exposure to the relatively more nutritious breakfast offered through the subsidized breakfast program throughout elementary school can yield important gains in achievement,” says researcher David Frisvold, assistant professor of economics at University of Iowa.
