Ontario student nutrition programs ask for double the funding as they grapple with 'limitless need'

Ahead of the spring budget, advocates are telling the Ontario government it needs to double funding for student nutrition programs — and even that may not meet the rising demand those programs are seeing.A student at St. Roch Catholic School in Toronto grabs some morning snacks offered by the school's food program in the fall of 2023. School food programs around the province say they're struggling to meet demand.

"Add to this the increased participation of students in our programs due to the effects of COVID, soaring inflation for families and the number of new immigrants across our province, and we now have a perfect storm," she said. "Student nutrition programs are becoming something that families need to lean on, and oftentimes lean on heavily, as a solution to the fact that they simply cannot afford their groceries, full stop," she said in an interview.The Ministry of Community, Children and Social Services sends funding to 14 lead agencies for snack and meal programs across the province.

"So we know that when a student who maybe doesn't have a critical need for the food that's in the classroom reaches for it, it sort of levels the playing field and gives any students that social permission to go ahead and take what they need without judgment." The government did put $6.15 million in additional money into the programs this year, including $5 million in the fall.Danielle Findlay, supervisor of community relations for the Ontario Student Nutrition Program Southwest Region, told the committee that in her area, their portion of the $5 million in funding meant $4.29 for each participating student for the entire school year. One healthy snack costs $1.50 on average, Student Nutrition Ontario estimates.

Nearly 30 schools are on their regional wait list and there just isn't enough funding to serve them, she said. The one-time investments of $6.15 million were welcome, but what's needed is a boost to core funding, something that hasn't happened in over a decade, Findlay said.

Source: Education Headlines (educationheadlines.net)

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