Making school meals a reality for more kids in Ottawa

OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 4, 2024 /CNW/ - Every child deserves the best start in life—this begins with access to quality meals at school, so that they are ready to learn. That's why the Government of Canada is creating a National School Food Program to help provinces, territories and Indigenous partners to expand and enhance their school food programming so they can reach even more children.

Today, the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, accompanied by Yasir Naqvi, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, Marie-France Lalonde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament for Orléans, and Mona Fortier, Member of Parliament for Ottawa-Vanier announced that the Government of Canada will invest approximately $108.5 million over the next three years to enhance and expand access to school food programs in Ontario. This agreement, under the federal government's National School Food Program, will result in over 9.8 million more meals served to our kids, including 130,000 more school meals served to kids in Indigenous communities across Ontario, this school year.

The Government of Canada announced that the Government of Ontario is the latest province to announce an agreement that works towards increasing access to nutritious meals in schools for children.

By working collaboratively to reach this agreement, the Governments of Canada and Ontario have ensured federal funding for school meals can be delivered this school year, enabling students across Ontario to better concentrate on learning, growing, and reaching their full potential.

The agreement reflects the vision, principles and objectives for school food programs set out in the National School Food Policy, including improving academic, health and nutrition outcomes for students, reducing hunger, and strengthening connections with ones' culture and local food systems.

The National School Food Program is part of the Government of Canada's work to make life cost less. This includes the Canada Child Benefit, which this year, is providing families with up to $7,787 per child; the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system, which has already reduced fees for regulated child care by half on average across the country, and the Canadian Dental Care Plan, which has already helped a million previously uninsured Canadians visit their dentist. Alongside this, we're also building more homes, improving health care, and creating good middle-class jobs – so that every Canadian has a fair chance to succeed.

Quotes

"Kids who aren't hungry learn better, play harder, and feel stronger—it's why we're working with Ontario to make sure that families will benefit from the National School Food Program. Today's agreement demonstrates a shared goal to ensure that more children in the province will have access to the healthy meals they need to succeed. And for parents, it gives them peace of mind, knowing that their kids are getting the fuel they need to focus on just being kids."
– The Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

"The simple fact is: when kids go to school hungry, they are not learning. The National School Food Program will make sure that every child gets a nutritious meal, so they could focus on learning. And, when they learn, they build successful lives, which helps build a prosperous country. It's that simple and important."
–     Yasir Naqvi, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre,

"A good education starts with a healthy meal. The $108.5 million over three years to expand and enhance access to school food programs in Ontario will not only ensure that when kids are at school, they can focus on learning and being their best, but will also support families by reducing food costs. This initiative will help the next generation of Canadians achieve their full potential, and the government is committed to working with Ontario to ensure that every kid in Orléans and across the province has access to a healthy meal."
–     Marie-France Lalonde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament for Orléans.

"Every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, and that starts with access to nutritious meals. Through this $108.5 million agreement between the Government of Canada and Ontario, the National School Food Program is expanding to help schools across the province provide healthy meals to children who need them most. This investment will ensure more students can focus on learning and growing, while supporting families by reducing food costs. Together, we're building a brighter future for our children and communities."
–     The Honourable Mona Fortier, Member of Parliament for Ottawa-Vanier

Quick facts

• On April 1, 2024, as part of Budget 2024, the Government of Canada committed $1 billion over five years in federal funding to implement the National School Food Program in collaboration with provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners. This funding will provide up to 400,000 additional children per year across Canada access to nutritious food at school.
• Released on June 20, 2024, the National School Food Policy lays the foundation for collaborative and complementary action by all levels of government to advance work on school food in Canada.
• According to Statistics Canada estimates, in 2022, 22.3 per cent of families and more than 2.1 million children under the age of 18 in Canada reported experiencing some level of food insecurity over the past 12 months.
• Participating families with two kids in school can save an estimated $800 a year, on average. It will mean lower grocery bills for families and school meals for kids – helping them learn, grow, and get the best start in life.
• In 2024-2025, Ontario has allocated $32.6 million for their Student Nutrition Program and First Nations Student Nutrition Program. An additional $18.5 million in federal funding will be used to expand access to these programs in the 2024-2025 school year.
• Ontario's aim for 2024-2025 is to provide both the Student Nutrition Program Lead Agencies and First Nations Student Nutrition Program service providers with additional funding to increase access to nutritious food for students. Funding will also help increase the capacity of service providers, by providing funding to support costs associated with transportation, storage and food preparation equipment.
• Families are receiving more money through the Canada Child Benefit to help with the costs of raising children, making a real difference in the lives of kids in Canada. The Canada Child Benefit, which is providing families up to $7,787 per child in 2024-25, is indexed annually to keep up with the cost of living and has helped lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty since its launch in 2016.
• The Government of Canada, is working with all provinces and territories to deliver an early learning and child care system, which has already cut fees for regulated child care to an average of $10-a-day or less in over half of all provinces and territories, and by 50 per cent or more in all others.
• The Canadian Dental Care Plan is improving access to dental health care for children under 18, because no one should have to choose between taking care of their kids' teeth and putting food on the table. For eligible children under 18 years old, families are encouraged to apply online at Canada.ca/dental.

Associated links

• Feeding the future today: Canada's National School Food Program
• National School Food Policy
• What We Heard Report
• Healthy meals for kids in Newfoundland and Labrador
• Healthy meals for kids in Manitoba
• Budget 2024: Fairness for Every Generation

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

Contacts: Geneviève Lemaire, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, [email protected]; Media Relations Office: Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]