School Based Student Support Breakfast Service
Aboriginal and Non-indigenous Students who are identified as attending school hungry.
The School Breakfast Program (SBP) is one of the most important and unique programs run by Foodbank WA. In 2019 four-hundred and fifty-nine schools across the state are involved in the Program, stretching from Kalumburu and Kununurra in the north to Esperance and Albany in the south, to remote schools along the South Australia/Northern Territory borders. The Program directly reaches over 18,000 students each week, serving 2.2 million breakfasts and ’emergency’ meals per annum.
Foodbank WA supplies quality School Breakfast Program food products to registered schools free of charge, to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to receive a wholesome, nutritious breakfast on a regular basis. Non-perishable SBP product include canned fruit in natural juice, wheat biscuits, Vegemite, canned spaghetti, canned baked beans, UHT milk, and oats. Where possible (subject to availability) schools are able to access fresh produce, including bread, fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh milk and yoghurt.
The School Breakfast Program would not be possible without the generous support of Foodbank WA’s government and corporate sponsors. These organisations provide funding so that Foodbank is able to purchase the breakfast food items and pay for the freight to deliver the breakfast product to outlying regional schools.
There are regional branches of Foodbank WA in Albany, Bunbury, Geraldton, Subiaco and Broome.
Curtin University evaluated Foodbank WA in 2019. They found that:
- Schools continue to report high levels of satisfaction with the quality and range of core foods provided by Foodbank WA.
- They valued the the support and communication offered by Foodbank WA.
- Foodbank WA is providing a program that support the development of student’s knowledge and skills in relation to healthy eating and nutrition.
- Foodbank was delivering a program adapted to different developmental levels of children and adolescents.
They recommended that Foodbank WA to:
- Continue to explore ways to increase the range of products (especially perishable foods) to all schools.
- Providing resources/advice to schools where the SBP is not integrated into the organisational practice of the school.
- Continue tailoring service to different developmental levels for children and adolescents.
