Kids shouldn’t need to rely on school for meals

Thanks to COVID-19, school closures have become a part of our lives, whether we like it or not.

In Nova Scotia, Premier Tim Houston and Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer, Dr. Robert Strang, announced earlier this month that schools would continue to remain closed for most students, with online learning taking its place.

During a recent press conference, Houston acknowledged schools are a place where many children can be kept warm and fed. Without schools, these children will go without, something that Houston called heartbreaking.

Whether you agree with COVID-19 school closures or not, one thing I think we can all agree on is that no child should be going hungry. Indeed, at what point will we, as a society, address the issue that when some children are not in school, they go hungry? Some people have used this argument to push for schools to open despite COVID-19 cases surging.

But in response to that I ask, what about these kids on holiday breaks? What about during the summer months? When are we going to address this very serious issue, which exists with or without COVID-19?

Children should not have to rely on schools as a safe space to be kept warm and fed, but this is unfortunately a reality for many. According to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives 2021 Report

Card on Child and Family Poverty in Nova Scotia, one in four children in the province live in poverty. This data also highlights there are “higher rates of food insecurity during the pandemic for households with children.” With a rising cost of living and the minimum wage remaining stagnant, it’s no wonder so many are struggling.

We need to do better. Our government needs to do better. Teachers and school workers already have a lot to shoulder. As a society, we need to look at the root causes of poverty, specifically child poverty, and take meaningful steps to combat this. Policy changes like paid sick days for all, a liveable wage and affordable housing options are all ways that we can combat poverty. It’s time for our government to step up and take action as no child should have to rely on school for food.