Breakfast for All and Participation Changes in Pennsylvania: A Case Study

In October 2022, Pennsylvania became the first state in the country to begin implementing Breakfast for All (B4A, a policy that has been sustained through recurring funding in the state budget. As interest in B4A has grown, however, relatively few studies have examined its impact, particularly its effectiveness compared with other no cost meal policies such as School Meals for All (SM4A). Evidence also suggests a potential synergistic effect of Breakfast After the Bell and no cost meal policies on breakfast participation, though this relationship has not been specifically examined in the context of B4A.  

This study examined three questions: 
•    How did breakfast participation as measured by average daily participation (ADP) change following Pennsylvania’s implementation of B4A?
•    How did these changes compare with those in a matched state, Michigan, that began implementing SM4A?
•    How did changes in breakfast participation in Pennsylvania vary by school-level factors, including breakfast delivery model.