No Kid Hungry Maryland Applauds Expansion of MMFA

The Maryland State Department of Education this week announced $7.55 million in state funds for Maryland Meals for Achievement (MMFA), a program that provides students with free school breakfast served after the bell. 522 schools were selected to participate in MMFA this year, 32 of which are new to the program in the 2019-2020 school year.  The following is a statement from No Kid Hungry Maryland State Director Kevin Large:

“No Kid Hungry Maryland applauds the expansion of Maryland Meals for Achievement, a move that will help ensure even more Maryland students start each day with a healthy breakfast this school year.  Studies show that students in MMFA schools demonstrate better educational performance, improved health and a decrease in discipline problems. This is good news for our students, good news for our schools and good news for our state.

During the 2018 legislative session, No Kid Hungry Maryland successfully advocated for a bill increasing MMFA funding by $650,000, allowing thousands more Maryland children to access this important program. While we celebrate this important victory, we know our work is not done. Over 130,000 additional Maryland students would benefit from a fully funded MMFA program.”

No Kid Hungry Maryland and its partners focus on school breakfast as a critical way to end childhood hunger. Accessing traditional cafeteria breakfast service can be challenging for many kids. Breakfast After the Bell provides breakfast in a way that is more convenient and accessible to students, resulting in more kids starting the day ready to learn.

Click here for a complete list of all Maryland Meals for Achievement schools for the 2019 – 2020 school year.