Two new reports this week show that school breakfast participation is on the rise, thanks to successful school policies and state legislation that make breakfast more accessible to students, and thanks to advocates like you! First, the annual FRAC breakfast scorecard is out with some great news: More low-income kids are now getting the healthy school breakfast they need. According to the report, national school breakfast participation rose 1.5% during the 2012-2013 school year, “an increase of nearly 311,000 children from the previous year.” This means that in 2013 school breakfast participation finally broke the halfway point, and that number continues to rise. Today, 51.9% of kids who need a healthy breakfast are getting one. Second , the new No Kid Hungry “Breakfast Changes Lives” report walks through the tactics that led to some of these successes in key states. A state-by-state breakdown highlights legislation that increased breakfast participation in high-need schools and policies that moved breakfast out of the cafeteria and into the classroom, making it a part of the school day. This forward breakfast momentum has long-term consequences. Kids who consistently get a healthy breakfast feel better, learn more, and grow up stronger Many of the big issues our nation is tackling today – health care costs, economic competitiveness, income inequality, academic achievement – have their roots in childhood hunger.  Simply put, ending childhood hunger is a big step in achieving a stronger, healthier nation.