One of the alternate models of the School Breakfast Program that can promote higher participation rate is the “Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC)” model. In the BIC model, breakfast is served in the classroom at the start of the school day, typically as a universal-free meal, as opposed to at the cafeteria before school.
This study, with a sample of 446 public elementary schools primarily serving low-income racial minority students, found that the BIC model was linked with increased breakfast participation during the academic year, with mean participation rates of 73.7% in the BIC group vs. 42.9% in the non-BIC group. This model was also linked with greater overall school attendance rates.
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