Healthy meals for kids, savings for families in New Brunswick
SHEDIAC, NB, Feb. 7, 2025 /CNW/ - Our National School Food Program provides healthy meals to kids and sets them up for success. It's also saving families hundreds of dollars a year in grocery bills.
Today, the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, the Honourable Susan Holt, Premier of New Brunswick and the Honourable Claire Johnson, New Brunswick's Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, announced an agreement that will enable New Brunswick to support school breakfast programs at an additional 160 schools across the province, reaching over 57,000 additional kids this school year. This will help New Brunswick reach their goal of establishing a universal breakfast program across all New Brunswick schools.
Our National School Food Program is a direct investment into the middle class – helping teachers and making mornings a little easier for working families. It is also a safety net for the kids who need this support the most. As part of this agreement, the Government of Canada will invest approximately $11.2 million over the next three years to expand and enhance access to school food programs in New Brunswick to feed more kids. Enhancements will include purchasing new kitchen equipment, hiring regional program coordinators, and developing new program guidelines. Expansion will also include planning for the creation of a province-wide pay-what-you-can lunch program to be launched in future years.
Following the recently signed agreements with Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick is the fifth province to work with the Government of Canada to increase access to nutritious meals in schools for children across the country. We're going to keep working with all provinces, territories, Indigenous partners, and stakeholders to ensure every child in Canada has the food they need while at school.
The National School Food Program is part of the federal government's work to put more money in your pocket. We're creating more good middle-class jobs, building more homes, expanding affordable dental care, creating more affordable child care spots, and giving every Canadian a tax break – so they can buy the things they need and save for the things they want.
Quotes
'When you're hungry, it's hard to learn. That's why we're committed to making sure kids have access to the healthy food they need, so they can focus on being kids and reach their full potential. For moms and dads this will also help them save hundreds of dollars in grocery bills. It's truly a game changer for everyone.'
– The Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
'It's wonderful to see progress continue to be made through this new partnership with the Government of New Brunswick. This agreement will connect schools with local community food organizations, create opportunities for our hardworking farmers, but most importantly, it will ensure more kids have a nutritious meal while at school.
– The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
'Every child deserves a nutritious breakfast to start their day off right. Not only does the National School Food program benefit children's education, it also helps families save money – and give parents one less thing to worry about. Hunger will no longer be a barrier to giving every child in New Brunswick the chance to reach their full potential.'
– The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs
'Making sure every child in New Brunswick goes to school with a full stomach sets them up for success. With our National School Food Program, we're investing in their future and well-being. By partnering with local organizations like Food Depot Alimentaire, we're making access to free, healthy meals a reality for more children across our province and our country.'
– The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, President of the Treasury Board
'A school food program doesn't just fill stomachs: it feeds minds. By creating a free breakfast program and expanding the program to all public schools in the province, we are giving students universal access to one of the essential tools they need to thrive and helping make life more affordable for New Brunswick families.'
– The Honourable Susan Holt, Premier of New Brunswick
'As a dietitian, I know first-hand just how important a healthy diet is for all growing minds. This funding from our federal partners will ensure all public-school students in New Brunswick can get a nutritious breakfast, regardless of their socio-economic background, or location.'
– The Honourable Claire Johnson, New Brunswick's Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development
'The Government of Canada's National School Food Program also focuses on maximizing opportunities to source food locally and foster connections with local food producers, processors and suppliers. Our department is committed to support the role of our food industry in this initiative.'
– The Honourable Pat Finnigan, New Brunswick's Minister of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries
'Today is a great victory for New Brunswick children and their families. Thanks to the hard work of many groups who have been advocating for years for access to healthy school meals, and thanks to our government's commitment to a National School Food Program, we are taking a crucial step forward. My Bill C-322 aimed to advance this cause, and I am proud to see these efforts bearing fruit. Together, we are ensuring that no child starts their day hungry.'
– Serge Cormier, Member of Parliament for Acadie—Bathurst
Quick facts
Budget 2024's investment of $1 billion over five years includes distinctions-based funding for First Nations on reserve as well as Inuit, Métis, and Modern Treaty and Self-Government agreement holders. We are working directly with Indigenous partners on the rollout of that funding, with more information to come.
In addition to the National School Food Program, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is delivering the $20.2 million School Food Infrastructure Fund (SFIF) over the next year to support the purchase and installation of infrastructure and equipment that increases the capacity of community organizations to produce, process, store, and distribute food for school food programs.
On January 31, 2025, the Government of Canada announced 10 initial recipients to further distribute SFIF funding to eligible not-for-profit organizations. Eligible community-based organizations are encouraged to use the SFIF Initial Recipient Finder to determine which organization best serves their geographic area and needs. The list of initial recipients includes Food Depot Alimentaire, based in Moncton, New Brunswick.
Released on June 20, 2024, the National School Food Policy lays the foundation for collaborative and complementary action by all levels of government to advance work on school food in Canada.
According to Statistics Canada estimates, in 2022, 22.3 per cent of families and more than 2.1 million children under the age of 18 in Canada reported experiencing some level of food insecurity over the past 12 months.
Participating families with two kids in school can save an estimated $800 a year, on average. It will mean lower grocery bills for families and school meals for kids – helping them learn, grow, and get the best start in life.
Since 2023-2024, New Brunswick, via the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, has invested $2 million per year in school food programming through their partnership with Food Depot Alimentaire (FDA).
Provincially-funded school food programming in partnership with FDA currently reaches roughly 51,700 students across 135 schools. Federal investment through the National School Food Program agreement will help New Brunswick expand access to over 57,000 additional students across 160 schools.
New Brunswick has a total of 295 schools in the province, with 108, 869 students.
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