Children across 1,000 NSW schools will start the day with a nutritious breakfast to ensure they are ready to learn through a Foodbank NSW & ACT program funded by the NSW Government.

The four-year, $8 million program will continue and expand Foodbank’s crucial School Breakfast 4 Health program from 500 schools to 1,000 schools.

With the growing cost of living pressures, 23 per cent of households in NSW are now classified as “severely food insecure”.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said no child should ever go to school hungry.

“Making sure children are getting the most out of their time at school is my number one priority. This starts by ensuring that they are not hungry in the classroom,” Mr Minns said.

“I have always said that as Premier I want to address the cost of living crisis and this is an important step to not only help families but also give our students the best start to every school day.”

The Minns Labor Government is committed to ensuring that school children have a full belly, which helps improve health, participation, learning and social development outcomes.

NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning, Prue Car, said the program would ensure children were ready to learn each and every day.

“This program is a simple yet effective way to ensure the children get a healthy start before a day of school,” Ms Car said.

“The Minns Labor Government is investing in our children to ensure they have the brightest future possible.”

The School Breakfast 4 Health program has also helped with reducing absenteeism, improving punctuality, enhancing engagement and productivity in the classroom, and improving concentration.

At Penrith Public School, 95 per cent of teachers noted an improvement in concentration from students who attended the breakfast program, 90 per cent reported greater levels of engagement and 88 per cent reported a positive lift in academic outcomes.