For Ontario parents who struggle to put food in their children’s backpacks every day, help may be on the way.
On Friday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford told reporters that he is “fully committed” to a federal plan to provide meals to students, adding that the province is in discussions with the federal government to finalize the details. I admitted it.
“We are currently in discussions with federal authorities,” Ford told reporters at an unrelated news conference.
“I think giving kids a little bit of food is really helpful. It helps them think better during the day. We’re waiting to hear from the federal government how much money kids are putting into it.” That’s where I’m at.
Toronto city council voted 23-1 on Thursday to direct staff to report next year on how best to create a universal student lunch program that would provide students with a free mid-morning meal by the 2026-2027 school year. It passed with a majority vote. The Council decided that it wanted to implement this program by 2030 at the latest.
City Council will also assess the funding needed to provide existing student meal programs by January to the 21 schools that applied in the past two academic years and were deemed eligible but were denied due to lack of funds. The decision was made to instruct city officials to do so.
Food insecurity is a major issue for parents, students, and educators. According to the federal government, an estimated one in four children in Canada don’t have enough to eat.
On April 1, the federal government announced a five-year, $1 billion plan to feed children across the country as part of this year’s budget. We are currently entering into agreements with states to implement this program.
Minister for Families, Children and Social Development Jenna Suds said on the federal government’s website that the National School Lunch Program provides meals to up to 400,000 students a year and can save families with two children as much as $800 a year. He said that it can be expected. With grocery expenses.
“Our government recognizes that partnerships between provinces, territories, Indigenous partners and stakeholders are essential to implementing school feeding programs that ensure children have the proper nutrition they need to thrive. I am aware of it,” Suds said.
Toronto’s lunch program plan is ‘visionary’, says expert
Debbie Field, co-ordinator of the Healthy School Lunch Coalition, a non-profit organization that works to ensure children across Canada have healthy meals at school, called Toronto City Council’s motion “exciting.” ”, he said, “He has farsightedness.” She said the city wants to make sure all children have access to healthy meals every day at school.
Field said in an interview with CBC Radio. metro morning In Toronto, about 70 per cent of schools have a mid-morning snack program, but many schools are cutting back. She said the snack program needed to be modified due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has tightened up funding.
“The city council members and the mayor were talking about having to cut the banana into four or six pieces, which is really, really, really difficult,” Field said.

Field said the city’s motion comes at a historic time, as the federal government grapples with funding school meals.
“This province is in real trouble right now. Ontario used to be a leader in school lunches, but we haven’t seen an increase in our lunch program in 10 years.”
Mayor: “You can’t learn if you’re hungry”
In a Sept. 30 letter to City Council’s executive committee, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said the cost of groceries is straining families in the city, reaching nearly one in three food bank customers. said children and young people.
“The reality is, in a city as wealthy as ours, thousands of children go to school hungry every day. You can’t learn if you’re hungry. “Teachers need to be able to focus on ‘not starvation,'” Chow wrote.
“We know that student meal programs increase attendance, improve achievement in math, science, and reading, reduce dropouts, and create healthier communities.”
Chow told parliament this week that she’s optimistic Toronto students will soon benefit from the federal plan because all three levels of government are on board.
“I think there’s a huge desire right now to provide a decent meal, whether it’s between breakfast and lunch or at lunch. We’re working towards a universal meal program in schools and that “It will be an answer to the prayers of many people, parents and many children,” Chow said.