February 7, 2025 Shediac, New Brunswick Employment and Social Development Canada
Our National School Food Program provides healthy meals to kids and sets them up for success. It's also saving families hundreds of dollars a year in grocery bills.
Today, the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, the Honourable Susan Holt, Premier of New Brunswick and the Honourable Claire Johnson, New Brunswick's Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, announced an agreement that will enable New Brunswick to support school breakfast programs at an additional 160 schools across the province, reaching over 57,000 additional kids this school year. This will help New Brunswick reach their goal of establishing a universal breakfast program across all New Brunswick schools.
Our National School Food Program is a direct investment into the middle class - helping teachers and making mornings a little easier for working families. It is also a safety net for the kids who need this support the most. As part of this agreement, the Government of Canada will invest approximately $11.2 million over the next three years to expand and enhance access to school food programs in New Brunswick to feed more kids. Enhancements will include purchasing new kitchen equipment, hiring regional program coordinators, and developing new program guidelines. Expansion will also include planning for the creation of a province-wide pay-what-you-can lunch program to be launched in future years.
Following the recently signed agreements with Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick is the fifth province to work with the Government of Canada to increase access to nutritious meals in schools for children across the country. We're going to keep working with all provinces, territories, Indigenous partners, and stakeholders to ensure every child in Canada has the food they need while at school.
The National School Food Program is part of the federal government's work to put more money in your pocket. We're creating more good middle-class jobs, building more homes, expanding affordable dental care, creating more affordable child care spots, and giving every Canadian a tax break - so they can buy the things they need and save for the things they want.
