Federal funds will help feed more kids
About 24,000 local students accessing meal programs, but 10 schools not yet included
A Niagara school food program advocate is hungry for more details after the federal government announced it will fund a national program as grocery prices and housing costs rise.
“We don’t know the details just yet, but the part that’s clear is these funds will support and strengthen already existing provincial and territorial programs, which includes us,” said Jessica Stephenson, program manager for Niagara Nutrition Partners.
“We’re eagerly anticipating collaborating with colleagues nationwide to implement improvements to this crucial service for students, as the funding will enable us the ability to expand and reach more students.”
While 24,000 students among Niagara’s four school boards access food programs, there are still 10 schools waiting to participate. Stephenson said the new funding will ensure no student is left behind.
The federal government Monday pledged $1 billion over five years to lay the foundation for access to healthier foods for nearly 400,000 children not served through existing school food programs, mainly from lower-income, Indigenous and racialized communities.
The Liberal government is expected to add program funding to its budget being released later this month, fulfilling a 2021 campaign promise, as the program is expected to start in the 2024-25 school year.
Canada is the only G7 country that does not have some framework in place for a national school food program.
In Niagara child poverty is more
‘‘ The funding will enable us the ability to expand and reach more students. JESSICA STEPHENSON NIAGARA NUTRITION PARTNERS
than 18 per cent, just above the national average.
Broken down into electoral ridings, according to Food Banks Canada’s website, St. Catharines had 22 per cent of children living in poverty, while Niagara Falls and Niagara Centre had 20.7 and 20.4 per cent, respectively, or one in five children, living in poverty.
“Federal help will put us in a better position to purchase quality foods kids deserve, and in turn, will provide relief and peace of mind to families left making difficult choices between, groceries and household bills,” said Stephenson.
But she stressed the importance of understanding this does not mean school food programs are fully governmentfunded, rather they will still need community support to ensure all kids continue to have access.
“It’ll be a cost-sharing effort, as we move forward. So, it’ll include the feds, the province and then our municipal communities at large,” she said.
Amberley Ruetz, a post-doctoral fellow at University of Saskatchewan, and author of “The Economic Rationale for Investing in School Meal Programs,” said the benefits of food programs are greater than just nourishing kids.
“There was fascinating research out of Sweden, which found women whose families had access to school meal programs increased their participation by five per cent in the labour market,” she said.
“Similar to child care, it’s another, wraparound support for families, and mothers in particular.”
Ruetz said school food programs yield everyday economic and community improvements.
“Long-standing research in Sweden, and in the States, found school meal programs have upwards of seven times return on investment,” she said.
“Every dollar put in gets $7 back in terms of improvements to education, human health and economic development,” she added.
She said another plus to the funding meal programs is employment opportunities.
“When you build a national program, it means you need more workers to prepare meals, to deliver the food and there’s markets for local growers,” she said.
“This is a win across the board and something, we often speak about is the learning and health outcomes, which are important and well documented in the research, but now this new area of economic development is exciting.”
St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens said school food program funding provided by the province, and now the federal government, falls short when it comes to ensuring every child is fed in school, but it is a start.
“It was a significant and positive achievement, but we all know it’s never going to be enough,” she said.
“The province was waiting on some mention from the federal throne speech/ It’s evident provinces, including Ontario, have been waiting for this announcement.”
Stevens said the program should see bipartisan support and it should not be used as an election stepping-stone.
“We have to ensure as members of the provincial government, and as members of the federal government, that no child is left waiting due to bureaucratic delays, and that every child has a full stomach,” she said.
“No child in Niagara should go to school hungry and it’s up to the federal government to bring this program forward.”