The Government is putting $9.5million towards providing children in low decile schools with daily breakfasts.

The plan announced by Prime Minister John Key today will put an extra 50 per cent, or $1.9million each year for five years, towards the existing KickStart breakfast programme.

The Government has committed an extra $9.5million over five years for breakfasts in schools.

This will extend the number of breakfasts, consisting of Weet-Bix and milk, provided to students in decile one to four schools from two days a week to five.

The Government, and partners Fonterra and Sanitarium, have made a five year commitment to boost the initiative. The Government also announced a $1.5million grant towards the KidsCan charity.

'By teaming up with Fonterra and Sanitarium, and deepening our support for KidsCan, we are building on the existing strengths of these organisations, while keeping the costs to taxpayers down,” says Mr Key.

'The most enduring solutions to help vulnerable children and families happen when communities are stepping up – not just government.”

Government plans to gradually make the programme available to all schools wanting and needing the programme.

'This is a simple breakfast, and one generations of New Zealanders have grown up on – Weet-Bix and milk.

'I'd like to make one thing clear – the Government believes parents have the primary responsibility for providing their kids with the basics, including a decent breakfast and a pair of shoes.

'But the fact remains that some children are going to school hungry and therefore not in good shape to learn.”

Mr Key says the grant to KidsCan - $1.5 million over three years - will go towards clothing and healthcare programmes with a focus on shoes, raincoats, lice treatment and other basic, essential healthcare needs.

'This Government has a positive and long-standing relationship with KidsCan, and we are pleased to be extending this partnership. Since 2009, we have made grants to KidsCan to support its work, alongside the philanthropic funding it receives.”

Fonterra and Sanitarium are welcoming Government's $1.9 million boost.

KickStart Breakfast, now in its fifth year, currently provides breakfasts of Anchor Milk and Weet-Bix twice a week to children in more than 570 decile one to four schools across the country.

This amounts to 48,000 breakfasts every week, with nearly five million breakfasts served to date.

Sanitarium General manager Pierre van Heerden says KickStart Breakfast is strongly supported by schools and local communities.

'Along with our partner Fonterra, we provide breakfasts twice a week, but increasingly, schools are telling us that they'd like to offer the programme every school day due to the needs of their students.

'KickStart is not only about breakfast, it also provides a space for children to develop social and life skills in a 'club” environment.”

Fonterra Group General manager Carly Robinson says feedback from schools show the nutrition provided to students through KickStart Breakfast has positive impacts in the classroom, and children would benefit greatly from a five-day-a-week programme.

'KickStart Breakfast is a programme aimed at providing nourishment to children that need it most. It's helping to give kids a boost to both their school day and their future by ensuring they have a healthy start and a full stomach to keep them alert in the classroom.”

KickStart Breakfast is run as a community partnership, meaning Fonterra and Sanitarium will provide the product, while the local school and community manage the breakfast itself.

Carly says the partnership allows schools to run clubs in their own way.