Arkansas' First Lady Helps Get 'No Kid Hungry' Campaign Underway

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Doctors say breakfast is an essential part of a child's academic success, and now Arkansas' first lady wants to make sure every student is fed.

Ginger Beebe joined a national child anti-hunger group at the capitol on Wednesday afternoon to kick off the Arkansas No Kid Hungry campaign.

They came together to talk about how connecting more kids to the school breakfast program through innovative new legislation can potentially impact academic achievement.

"Benifits of school breakfast are noted by school teachers and principals and parents -- the kids coming into school are not distracted by an empty stomach so they are better behaved, they can concentrate on the work they're about to do in the classroom," says campaign director Patty Barker.

Nationally, students on average who eat school breakfast have been shown to achieve just over 17 percent higher scores on standardized tests; and attend more days of school per year.