More than 52,000 school breakfasts have been served to an extra 2,000 students across the state accessing the school breakfast program between terms 1 and 3 of last year – a direct result of increased funding to the program.

This comes as South Australian public schools can now also apply for $250,000 worth of new Food Security Grants.

Public schools and preschools can apply for a Food Security Grant to help their communities learn about growing, accessing and preparing healthy food through projects, such as establishing community gardens, cooking classes, or by purchasing equipment or resources to support gardens or school kitchens.

Food Security Grants, for amounts between $1,000 to $5,000, are available to all public preschools and schools with priority consideration to the state’s most disadvantaged schools.

Madison Park School Principal Michael Washington said at Madison Park School, we combine eating regular, healthy, food choices with effective learning and positive school behaviour.

“The students have access to food as needed to enable them to concentrate and engage positively in their school learning”.

“We welcome initiatives, such as the Breakfast Program and the new Food Security Grants, as a way of ensuring students and their families have access to healthy food to ensure regular attendance and a close partnership between school and home”.

The grants are part of a wider $6.5 million funding boost announced by the State Government which includes $5.1 million to food breakfast program providers KickStart for Kids and Foodbank SA & NT.

It’s hoped the additional funding will enable students to access 1.4 million free healthy meals over four years.

KickStart for Kids Founder Ian Steel said where one in four South Australian kids are going to school without breakfast and a further one in five school kids are going to school without lunch, the food insecurity grants are vitally important.

“Our research shows that children that suffer from food insecurity struggle to achieve positive educational outcomes, suffer from low self-esteem and are isolated in the community”.

Added to this, Foodbank SA & NT CEO Greg Pattinson said we know the rising cost of living has put additional pressure on already struggling families.

“As the largest food relief provider in South Australia and the Northern Territory, Foodbank SA & NT have seen a significant increase of families turning to Foodbank services for their food relief requirements”.

“Foodbank now support more than 550 School Programs, including more than 325 School Breakfast Programs directly right across the state, with the State Government funding helping us to reach additional students that would have otherwise gone without breakfast”.

“We look forward to seeing the impact of the new grant funding on schools, food education and food relief for children across our state”.

Applications for the new Food Security Grants open week 3, term 1 and close in week 7, term 1.

Successful applicants will be advised by the end of term 1 with activities to be implemented over the 2024 school year.

Read more about Food Security Grants for South Australian government schools and preschools.