As rent, utilities, groceries and other essentials continue to rise, New Jersey families are struggling to keep food on the table. More than 270,000 children in our state experience food insecurity, meaning that access to nutritious meals is not always steady or predictable. For too many children, that uncertainty begins early in the day, before the school bell rings.
Federal policy changes under H.R.1, the 2025 reconciliation act, will make this crisis worse, reducing or eliminating critical supports like SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, and Medicaid for many families. More than 26,000 New Jerseyans, almost half of them children, have lost access to SNAP since the law took effect a year ago, and additional cuts threaten to push even more families off assistance.
Because SNAP and Medicaid participation drive automatic enrollment for free school meals, these losses will show up in classrooms and school cafeterias. While New Jersey has taken meaningful steps and made crucial investments to combat childhood hunger, the next step is both urgent and clear: School breakfast for all.
Students with consistent access to nutritious school meals perform better academically, have fewer behavioral issues and show improved mental health. Hunger holds kids back.
School meals are one of the most reliable and effective ways for children to access healthful and nutritious foods. When food is not guaranteed at home, school meals become a critical safeguard, ensuring that children start the day nourished, focused and ready to learn. For families, it provides financial relief, and guarantees a consistent source of nutrition for their children when mornings are rushed or resources are limited.
Paperwork barriers
New Jersey lawmakers know what is at stake, and have been making progress through policy for several years. The expansion of income eligibility guidelines to 224% of the federal poverty level has extended free school meals to more students. And legislation requiring schools to display school and summer meal applications prominently online will further help families connect to resources.
These actions show strong leadership. Still, gaps remain. Families that fall above eligibility thresholds, for instance, have trouble affording food or providing healthful breakfasts consistently.
When breakfast is provided to all students at no cost, it removes stigma and eliminates paperwork barriers. Breakfast becomes a normal part of the school day, not a marker of need. Many schools report that this shift helps students settle into the classroom and transition smoothly into learning.
Nine states, including New York, have approved funding to guarantee no-cost school breakfast and lunch to all students. New Jersey would join three states — Pennsylvania, Delaware and Arkansas — that have passed funding for no-cost school breakfast for all students.
As leaders of the School Meals for All New Jersey Coalition, we see firsthand the impact of food insecurity on our children and communities. Investing in school breakfast for all is a proven, common-sense solution when the responsibility to protect children is falling increasingly to states.
We urge New Jersey lawmakers to advance school breakfast for all as the next step on our journey to healthful school meals for all. As a state, we pride ourselves on putting our children first. Now is the time to build on this commitment and ensure that all Jersey kids have the fuel they need to thrive, regardless of their zip code or family income.
