New Mexico leads the nation in providing free/reduced breakfasts to low-income children, according to a report from the nonprofit Food Research and Action Center. Conversely, Illinois had the lowest participation rate, with only 32 low-income children eating breakfast for every 100 who ate lunch.
The report found that New Mexico had the highest ratio of low income children eating free and reduced-price breakfasts at school: of every 100 low-income children eating lunch, 61 also received breakfast during the 2006-2007 school year, the report found. The state began its school breakfast program in 2004 with 80 schools. That was expanded to 129 schools in 2006.