Latest news with #NationalSchoolFoodProgram
Cision Canada
2 days ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
Helping families get ahead with a more generous Canada Child Benefit
PETERBOROUGH, ON, July 18, 2025 /CNW/ - As families raising children across the country receive the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) today, the Honourable Anna Gainey, Secretary of State (Children and Youth), announced that the benefit amounts have increased for 2025–26. Families can now receive up to $7,997 per child under the age of 6 and $6,748 per child aged 6 through 17. This represents approximately a $200 increase from the previous year and will help parents manage everyday expenses like groceries, clothing or child care, providing added support as they raise their children. Beyond the CCB, the Government of Canada is advancing other initiatives to make life more affordable and support families' well-being: the National School Food Program, backed by a $1 billion investment over five years, is expanding and enhancing access to nutritious food for children across Canada; and the Canadian Dental Care Plan is transforming access to oral health care by helping make the cost of dental care more affordable for eligible Canadians. These efforts, combined with investments in affordable child care, housing and health care, reflect the Government of Canada's commitment to bringing down costs for Canadians and helping them to get ahead. Quotes "The Canada Child Benefit is about giving families the breathing room they need to thrive. With this year's increase, Canada's new Government is delivering meaningful relief, helping parents cover the costs of raising their kids, from diapers to school supplies. We are investing in Canadian families, because when families are strong, the economy is strong, and we make Canada strong." – The Honourable Anna Gainey, Secretary of State (Children and Youth) Quick Facts The CCB is a monthly tax-free benefit based on prior year's adjusted net family income that provides support for low- to middle-income families with children to help with the cost of raising children under 18 years of age. The amount received under the CCB depends on several factors, such as the number of children and their ages, and prior year's adjusted net family income. For the July 2025 to June 2026 benefit year, eligible families can now receive up to $6,748 per child aged 6 through 17, and up to $7,997 per child under the age of 6. A family with one child aged 5 and one child aged 9 with an adjusted family net income of $65,000 will receive around $10,800 in 2025–26. This represents around $320 more than they would have received in 2024–25. The CCB has been indexed to inflation since 2018, using the Consumer Price Index from Statistics Canada, a trusted measure of cost-of-living changes. This annual indexation, effective every July, ensures the CCB keeps pace with rising expenses, offering predictable and stable support that families can count on year after year. Annual indexation takes effect on July 1 to coincide with the beginning of the program year for payments, which runs from July 1 to June 30 of the following year. With more than $26 billion in payments annually, the CCB is making a tangible difference in the lives of approximately 3.5 million families and over 6 million children. For school food programs, research shows participating families with two children in school can save an estimated $800 per year, easing household budgets while ensuring kids are fuelled to learn and grow. Almost 420,000 children under the age of 18 have been enrolled in the Canadian Dental Care Plan as of July 9, 2025. )
Canada Standard
5 days ago
- Health
- Canada Standard
School lunches, the French way: It's not just about nutrition, but togetherness and 'bon appetit'
This spring, as part of a sabbatical project, I had the privilege of visiting school food programs and meeting with school food researchers in six cities in France, England and Scotland. I got to eat school lunches, visit central kitchens in two cities where meals are prepared for thousands of children, visit school kitchens and discuss school food with the countries' leading experts. This visit intersects with my research with colleagues on promising food programs across Canada. This research offers insights for consideration as regions navigate the federal government's first National School Food Program and National School Food Policy. Government announcements about the program and policy were followed by negotiations with the provinces and territories, all of which have since signed agreements for a portion of the funding. In most parts of Canada, officials are just beginning to plan for new approaches to school food (with a few exceptions especially in Atlantic Canada where school food programs have been transforming much more quickly). Based on my research about international food programs, here are four key things Canadians should pay attention to: 1) In Canada we need to shift from thinking of school lunches as a safety net for kids living in poverty to thinking about them as benefiting the health and well-being of children and their families. In France, this shift in thinking is particularly clear. School lunches in France are about teaching children about food and culture and all kids are encouraged to eat together with an adult facilitator who teaches them about the components of the meal and creates a family-meal context at each table. By contrast, if you ask many parents in Canada what school meals are for, they will tell you they are for kids living in poverty to make sure they have food to eat at school. If Canada wants a national school food program that achieves the benefits of the best programs in the world in the areas of education, well-being and on the economy, we need to think of school meals as supporting young people to be the best students they can be. 2) One important benefit of school food programs globally is to encourage picky eaters to try new foods due to the social pressure of all kids eating the same foods together. In three cities in France I visited, and one in England, school lunches look like home-cooked meals. One main dish with meat is served (and in England, a vegetarian alternative), and kids can choose if and how much of the side vegetables and fruit to take. In Canada, following a similar practice - one main and a vegetarian alternative when meat is served - might work well. But it's also important that in developing a menu, the cultural diversity of Canadian school communities is reflected in the food on offer. In the other two locations in England and Scotland, kids choose from multiple main dishes - something that adds cost to the program and does less to encourage kids to try new foods, given one choice is always something basic like a cheese sandwich. Kids need to have some autonomy when it comes to eating, but school food programs should not be facilitating eating the same food every day. Nor should school food programs aspire to a model where broad choice is afforded from a large menu. 3) With care, planning and sufficient resources, centralized kitchens can prepare thousands of servings of a main dish daily. The French central kitchens I visited prepare 6,000 to 10,000 servings a day of high-quality food following strict food safety protocols. I ate two simple yet delicious meals cooked in municipally owned central kitchens. In the three cities in France where I visited, they used central kitchens where main dishes were prepared and chilled to be delivered for heating at the school level. Central kitchens also delivered the salads and sides (like chopped veggies, bread, cheese and fruit) and dressings. In the small school kitchens, the salads were dressed, and the cheese and fruit were cut for service. The central kitchens were also used in at least one city to prepare food for daycares and for seniors who were home-bound - something to consider for Canadian cities. Centralizing kitchens can reduce costs and provide a way for high-quality food to be produced from basic ingredients without commercial kitchens in every school capable of preparing meals for hundreds of children at a time. 4) When designed with requirements for purchasing foods from local farmers and other Canadian producers, school food programs can benefit the agricultural sector and multiply their benefits to communities beyond direct school food jobs. In France, for example, there are specific percentages to be purchased from local and sustainable sources. Percentage requirements for local and sustainable purchasing should be enacted now in Canada as its program establishes itself, perhaps beginning with 20 per cent and growing over time. I have many more reflections from my visits, both positive and negative, but the four I have discussed are important for Canada to learn from as it begins to design the National School Food Program to meet the needs of diverse communities from coast to coast to coast.
Canada News.Net
5 days ago
- Health
- Canada News.Net
School lunches, the French way: It's not just about nutrition, but togetherness and 'bon appetit'
This spring, as part of a sabbatical project, I had the privilege of visiting school food programs and meeting with school food researchers in six cities in France, England and Scotland. I got to eat school lunches, visit central kitchens in two cities where meals are prepared for thousands of children, visit school kitchens and discuss school food with the countries' leading experts. This visit intersects with my research with colleagues on promising food programs across Canada. This research offers insights for consideration as regions navigate the federal government's first National School Food Program and National School Food Policy. Government announcements about the program and policy were followed by negotiations with the provinces and territories, all of which have since signed agreements for a portion of the funding. In most parts of Canada, officials are just beginning to plan for new approaches to school food (with a few exceptions especially in Atlantic Canada where school food programs have been transforming much more quickly). Based on my research about international food programs, here are four key things Canadians should pay attention to: 1) In Canada we need to shift from thinking of school lunches as a safety net for kids living in poverty to thinking about them as benefiting the health and well-being of children and their families. In France, this shift in thinking is particularly clear. School lunches in France are about teaching children about food and culture and all kids are encouraged to eat together with an adult facilitator who teaches them about the components of the meal and creates a family-meal context at each table. By contrast, if you ask many parents in Canada what school meals are for, they will tell you they are for kids living in poverty to make sure they have food to eat at school. If Canada wants a national school food program that achieves the benefits of the best programs in the world in the areas of education, well-being and on the economy, we need to think of school meals as supporting young people to be the best students they can be. 2) One important benefit of school food programs globally is to encourage picky eaters to try new foods due to the social pressure of all kids eating the same foods together. In three cities in France I visited, and one in England, school lunches look like home-cooked meals. One main dish with meat is served (and in England, a vegetarian alternative), and kids can choose if and how much of the side vegetables and fruit to take. In Canada, following a similar practice - one main and a vegetarian alternative when meat is served - might work well. But it's also important that in developing a menu, the cultural diversity of Canadian school communities is reflected in the food on offer. In the other two locations in England and Scotland, kids choose from multiple main dishes - something that adds cost to the program and does less to encourage kids to try new foods, given one choice is always something basic like a cheese sandwich. Kids need to have some autonomy when it comes to eating, but school food programs should not be facilitating eating the same food every day. Nor should school food programs aspire to a model where broad choice is afforded from a large menu. 3) With care, planning and sufficient resources, centralized kitchens can prepare thousands of servings of a main dish daily. The French central kitchens I visited prepare 6,000 to 10,000 servings a day of high-quality food following strict food safety protocols. I ate two simple yet delicious meals cooked in municipally owned central kitchens. In the three cities in France where I visited, they used central kitchens where main dishes were prepared and chilled to be delivered for heating at the school level. Central kitchens also delivered the salads and sides (like chopped veggies, bread, cheese and fruit) and dressings. In the small school kitchens, the salads were dressed, and the cheese and fruit were cut for service. The central kitchens were also used in at least one city to prepare food for daycares and for seniors who were home-bound - something to consider for Canadian cities. Centralizing kitchens can reduce costs and provide a way for high-quality food to be produced from basic ingredients without commercial kitchens in every school capable of preparing meals for hundreds of children at a time. 4) When designed with requirements for purchasing foods from local farmers and other Canadian producers, school food programs can benefit the agricultural sector and multiply their benefits to communities beyond direct school food jobs. In France, for example, there are specific percentages to be purchased from local and sustainable sources. Percentage requirements for local and sustainable purchasing should be enacted now in Canada as its program establishes itself, perhaps beginning with 20 per cent and growing over time. I have many more reflections from my visits, both positive and negative, but the four I have discussed are important for Canada to learn from as it begins to design the National School Food Program to meet the needs of diverse communities from coast to coast to coast.
Canada News.Net
05-07-2025
- Health
- Canada News.Net
The food affordability crisis is one reason governments need to step up for school food
Despite the hard work and dedication of hundreds of local grassroots organizations across the country to deliver student nutrition programs, there are, too often, not enough funds to purchase the food to meet student needs. As described in a study of elementary school parents' and teachers' perspectives on school food in southern Ontario, in the city of Hamilton and Peel Region, far too many school food programs cannot adequately meet existing nutritional needs of hungry students. Some teachers described how students, as young as four years old, come to school without enough nutritious food to fuel them through the day. As a researcher who examines biological and cultural determinants of human nutrition and food security, I conducted this study with academic colleagues in partnership with the Coalition for Healthy School Food. Fortunately, in 2024 the government of Canada announced a new National School Food Program and policy. As of March 10, 2025, the federal government has made school food agreements with all provinces and territories. This is an opportunity to reinvent school food across Canada and to catch up to other G7 countries that have long-running traditions of school food programs. In our study we asked parents through an online survey and focus group discussions in Hamilton and Peel Region to tell us what they envision for a future national school food program. Eighty-three per cent of the respondents were women; respondents self-identfied as South Asian (eight per cent), Black (five per cent), Indigenous (four per cent), Middle Eastern (four per cent), Southeast Asian (three per cent), Latino (three per cent), East Asian (three per cent) and white (70 per cent). Forty-three per cent of households were classified as experiencing some level of food insecurity, with 41 per cent having an annual household income of less than $69,999. Ninety-six per cent of survey respondents said they want their child to participate in a school food program, and 77 per cent said they would be willing to pay some amount for it. In parent focus groups, and teacher interviews, participants cited such benefits as: Participants saw affordability as one of the major barriers to an accessible program. Suggestions for funding models ranged from universal free programs to government-funded programs subsidized by optional parent contributions, and corporate donor funding. Most parents and teachers were adamant that programs be universally accessible with nutritious and diverse food options for all students regardless of ability to pay. Federal funding of $79 million flowed to the provinces and programs in the first year of the government's National School Food Program, but those funds were quickly used up. As noted by the Coalition for Healthy School Food, not all provinces are contributing in the same way towards school food programs to date. In Saskatchewan and Ontario, school food is severely underfunded relative to other provinces and territories. Saskatchewan and Ontario's per capita investments are four times lower than the national median of 63 cents per student per day: Nova Scotia contributes $3.30 whereas Saskatchewan and Ontario are at the bottom of the pack at three and nine cents per student per day respectively. That's based on an annual average of 190 school days per year across Canada. Without significant funding increases from those provincial governments, none of the hopes and dreams for a National School Food Program in Saskatchewan and Ontario will come to fruition. While the need for more funding is paramount, there are also logistical issues to tackle. Without commercial-grade kitchens in elementary schools, some survey respondents suggested centralized food preparation models by upgrading existing neighbourhood or high school infrastructure, from which meals could be distributed to local schools. Others were in favour of contracting local food businesses as providers. A few parents raised the concern that school boards might contract large food conglomerates, resulting in a situation where corporate profit compromises food quality. Teachers voiced the need for adequate staffing and volunteer support so as not to unduly burden school staff. Some parents and teachers felt strongly about minimizing packaging waste. As one teacher stated: "I would be concerned about the environmental impact, going from trying to conserve and be mindful of what we use, like reusable containers, to a disposable model ... I think it would send a poor message to kids who we're asking to protect their environment." The topic of how much time students have to eat arose frequently in discussions. In Ontario, many schools at the elementary level adhere to a two-break or balanced day model, where students have a "nutrition break" in the morning with recess, and another in early afternoon (instead of two short recesses and a mid-day window for lunch/recess). This may be a reason why parents and some teachers say that kids don't have enough time to eat. In addition to logistical operations and accessibility, parents and teachers voiced the need to consider social and cultural diversity and inclusion. They noted the diversity of student dietary requirements and preferences - from food allergies/intolerances and cultural and religious foods to concerns about what respondents referred to as their "picky eaters." Teachers pointed out that halal and/or vegetarian foods must be made available. The oversight of food safety and offering a diversity of healthy food choices was mentioned repeatedly by parents. Meals and ingredients could be posted in weekly or monthly menus - like they are in in France, for example - to ensure students and their families are aware of what is being served. There was enthusiasm for exposing kids to culturally diverse menu options that would make students from all backgrounds feel included and welcome. While some parents were concerned that their kids might not eat foods they're unfamiliar with, others thought it would be great to expose them to new foods that they might eat at school even if they wouldn't at home. Some parents were excited about the prospect of community involvement, including volunteers but also students in food prep, distribution and cleanup. Beyond the school community, some proposed fostering partnerships with local farms, community gardens and local food providers. In sum, participants voiced the need for flexible programs that could be tailored to specific school, family and community needs - with clear communication with all families and school staff about the school food programs' goals and operations. We have a tremendous need and opportunity in Canada to strengthen our food system and food security with the National School Food Program. We have just begun this project with the commitment of some federal, provincial and municipal funding, but there is much more work to do in developing school food programs in each part of the country. The continued food affordability crisis and the how important these programs are. No matter how these programs end up evolving, parents and teachers in Hamilton and Peel Region have clearly voiced their desire for equity - school food program accessibility, regardless of family income. They also want to see food offerings meeting students' diverse dietary requirements, and the inclusion of student, family, educator and local community partners.
CTV News
03-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Nova Scotia served more than 4.7M lunches to students last school year
The Nova Scotia School Lunch Program served thousands of students in 2024-2025. (Source: Province of Nova Scotia) Nova Scotia served more than 4.7 million lunches to students in the first year of its school food program, which is aiming to expand across the province in the fall. The province says the Nova Scotia School Lunch Program was available to more than 75,000 students in 256 schools during the 2024-2025 academic year. The bulk of the orders in the program came from the Halifax Regional Centre for Education, which served nearly two million lunches. The most popular item was cheese pizza, which had 390,000 servings. West Bedford School ordered the most lunches at 73,000 while Pleasant Bay School in Inverness County saw the highest consistent program participation at 80 per cent of the students. 'I am thrilled with the success of the first year of the Nova Scotia School Lunch Program and can't wait for school communities to see a bigger and better program next fall,' said Brendan Maguire, minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, in a news release. Nova Scotia is receiving $12.4 million over three years through the National School Food Program to enhance school food initiatives. Next school year, the province is spending $80 million on the program, which is expanding to all middle and junior high schools, serving more than 104,000 students at 334 schools. The program will also make changes this fall, including: improved delivery and service standards sustainable packaging kid-approved menu options a more seamless ordering experience For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
