March 10, 2025 Whitehorse, Yukon Employment and Social Development Canada
No child should go to school hungry. And in the Yukon, where food prices are among the highest in the country, getting kids a full breakfast before they head out the door or packing school lunches is not always an easy task. That's why school food programs are so important. They provide access to nutritious meals that can positively affect the health, well‑being, and overall success of kids in the classroom. They also save families hundreds of dollars in grocery bills.
Today, the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, the Honourable Ranj Pillai, Premier of Yukon, and the Honourable Jeanie McLean, Yukon's Minister of Education, announced an agreement that will enable the Yukon to enhance their existing school food programming, which currently serves approximately 6,200 kids across the territory.
Through the National School Food Program, the Government of Canada will invest approximately $7.4 million over the next three years for things like upgrading school food kitchen facilities, purchasing food and offering more nutritious meals to students. These enhancements are particularly significant for remote communities in the Yukon and will provide children most affected by food insecurity with access to more consistent and nutritious meals at school.
Building a National School Food Program that works for families is part of the federal government's commitment to make life more affordable for families across the country so they can focus on raising their kids. We're creating more middle-class jobs, building more homes, expanding affordable dental care and creating more affordable child care spaces-so they can buy the things they need and save for the things they want.
