Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Andrew Furey joins Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Families, Children and Social Development Minister Jenna Sudds, second from left, and members of his cabinet to announcement funding for a school initiative in the province, in Rocky Harbour, Nfld., on Sept. 4.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Newfoundland and Labrador has become the first province to sign onto the federal government’s plan for a national school food initiative, receiving $9.1-million over the next three years to give more students access to breakfast and lunch programs.
In an announcement on Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey said the agreement would give 4,100 more children access to lunch programs this school year.
“We know that being there to make sure that no kids are going hungry, make sure that kids have access to good, high-quality food in their schools is both important for them and their learning. I know that as a teacher. I know that as a parent,” Mr. Trudeau told reporters at a school in Rocky Harbour.
The Liberal government set aside $1-billion over five years in the last budget for a national food program. It was an election commitment Mr. Trudeau made in 2021. The government said it would work with provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to expand access to their school food programs.
What currently exists in Canada is a patchwork of programs that serve a snack, breakfast or lunch to roughly one million schoolchildren, or around 20 per cent of the country’s student population. The programs are mostly funded by the provinces, but also rely on donations and teams of volunteers.
Evidence suggests that a nutritious school food program promotes better student attendance and participation, as well as providing physical benefits and lessons in healthy eating.
Mr. Trudeau said he hoped Manitoba and Prince Edward Island would be next to sign food program agreements, with Ontario working toward a deal as well.
“We do want to put pressure on all provinces to step up and deliver for those organizations that are already delivering school food programs … in schools across their provinces that could use the money that the federal government has put on the table to make sure that no kids are going hungry, that kids can concentrate in class,” he said.
Mr. Furey said his province has invested money so that about 60,000 students have access to breakfast programs, and 30,000 to lunches. The federal funding, he said, will allow programs to expand at a faster pace and feed more children.
“You can’t reach your full potential unless you have a full belly,” Mr. Furey said. “It is incredibly important for us as governments to focus on how we make sure that children are able to learn and meet their full potential, including being well-fed.”
Advocates say that offering healthy meals to children in school not only allows them to pay attention in class but also provides some relief to families struggling with the high cost of food.
Debbie Field, co-ordinator of the Montreal-based advocacy group Coalition for Healthy School Food, has been a strong advocate for a national food program. She was heartened to hear that Newfoundland and Labrador signed the agreement with the federal government.
The funding, she said, will go directly into existing school food programs. “It will feed kids right away,” Ms. Field said in an interview.
Many programs have been struggling with the high cost of food and more children lining up for a snack or meal. As a result, programs have been forced to either reduce the number of items they offer or how often they run each week. In some cases, they’ve stopped serving meals well before the school year ends.
Ms. Field encouraged all provinces to sign onto the federal agreements so that programs can thrive.
“What this does is it will make it possible for them to exist and not have to shut down in May, or serve less,” Ms. Field said. “It will make an immediate impact.”