Prime Minister Carney promises to permanently fund National School Food Program

Amid rising poverty and food insecurity in Canada, the Carney government announced their commitment to permanently fund the National School Food Program.

The program provides money for the provinces to help give food supports to needy school families, including the Hamilton and Niagara regions.

Nancy Phelan from Food4Kids Hamilton says demand for food support programs for students in Hamilton is rising every year.

“We are looking at families who are really in crisis and experiencing critical levels of food insecurity,” she says.

“This year in particular, we have just started the school year and I can’t tell you how many requests from schools we have.”

Food4Kids runs a weekend, holiday, and summer food program for students in 94 Hamilton schools.

Phelan’s organization is funded by donations and not by the government, but she welcomes the Prime Minister’s promise today because she sees first-hand the dire needs of many families in Hamilton.

“We’re encouraged, because we want every child to have enough food,” Phelan says.

Also encouraged is the Niagara Catholic School Board, which has school food support programs funded by government money as well as local fundraising.

“As educators, we know that children who arrive at school can’t focus on learning,” NCDSB Spokesperson Sierra Davies-Barlow said in a statement.

“A permanent national school food program would have a significant and positive impact on DSBN students. Thousands of students access nutrition programs across our system daily, but rising food costs have placed pressure on these essential initiatives.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney took a firm stance today, saying, “This is Canada. No child should go to school hungry.”

Carney is previewing one of his upcoming budget promises; to permanently pay for the National School Food Program.

“All our children should be focused on learning,” he said.

The program began last year under Carney’s predecessor as a five-year pilot program.

Carney is committing $216 million in annual funding, which the government says will provide meals for up to 400,000 children every year.

But both the Niagara Catholic school board and Food4Kids tell CHCH that demand continues to grow, and there is more work to be done.

“We have waitlists,” Phelan says.

“I’m in the process of receiving multiple requests from schools every single day.”

Just last month, Food Banks Canada released a new report that found poverty and food insecurity in Canada have risen a whopping 40 per cent in just the last two years.

Ontario’s Student Nutrition Program is partially funded by the National School Food Program.

In a separate announcement today, the Ford government promised another $5 million in funding for the provincial program, which serves more than 600,000 school-aged children.

When asked about Carney’s announcement, the ministry that oversees the provincial program says it welcomes the decision to make the federal funding permanent.

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