The School Breakfast Program
How can my child get free breakfast in D.C.?
Breakfast is automatically free for all students in D.C. Public Schools and public charter schools. But it’s still important for every family to fill out a school meals application so that your child’s school receives the maximum federal reimbursements for the meals it serves.
How can a school start participating in the School Breakfast Program?
Contact D.C. Hunger Solutions to find out if your school is eligible to participate and for assistance getting started.
D.C. School Breakfast Participation Data
During the 2009-2010 school year:
- An average of 18,051 low-income children in 217 schools participated in school breakfast each day.
- 217 D.C. schools (both public and charter) out of 227 operated the School Breakfast Program during the 2008-2009 school year.
- 48.4 children received free or reduced-price breakfast for every 100 children who received free-or reduced price lunch.
- If participation in D.C. rose to 60 low-income children eating federally-funded school breakfast for every 100 low-income children eating lunch, an additional 4,300 low-income children would start the day with a healthy breakfast and the state would gain an additional $1.04 million in federal funding.
School Breakfast Resources
Get the Facts: A Resource Guide for the Federal Nutrition Programs (pdf) is for social service providers, afterschool programs, schools, shelters, health clinics, faith-based organization, child development centers, food banks, and others.
- The School Breakfast section includes: what institutions can participate, how the program works, alternative breakfast service ideas, reimbursement and funding information, and benefits to students and schools.
How to Get Food in the District of Columbia (pdf) is for anyone who would like to sign up for, or find out more information on, federal food programs.
- The School Breakfast section answers a number of questions, including: Who qualifies, and when to apply..
Visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Web site section on the School Breakfast Program.
Visit the Food Research and Action Center's Web site for School Breakfast advocacy and program information.
