December 4, 2024 [Ottawa, Ontario] Employment and Social Development Canada
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.
