SASKATOON — On Friday, Legislative Secretary for Education Barret Kropf and Secretary of State, the Honourable Buckley Belanger, on behalf of Secretary of State (Children and Youth), the Honourable Anna Gainey, announced the next phase of the National School Food Program in Saskatchewan, which will provide funding to school divisions across the province to expand existing or develop new food programs.
Earlier this year, the Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada signed a $15.8 million three-year agreement under the National School Food Program. Through the agreement, the Government of Saskatchewan is providing $6.4 million of federal funding to school divisions in the 2025-26 school year to support programs that are responsive to the needs of students attending urban, rural or northern schools.
"The National School Food Program investment will help us further achieve our goal of providing a better quality of life for Saskatchewan students, families and communities," Education Minister Everett Hindley said. "Enhanced school food programs can provide immediate relief to families' household budgets and significantly increase access and reach for students."
The new federal program builds on the work being done through the Saskatchewan Child Nutrition Program, which has provided healthy meals and skill building programs to Saskatchewan students for the past 35 years.
Throughout the agreement, the ministry will continue ongoing consultation meetings with stakeholders including school divisions, First Nations partners and francophone community representatives to seek feedback, assess progress throughout the year and identify potential improvements in programming in future years.
“By securing this National School Food agreement with the province and taking action to make this program permanent, our federal government is helping make sure kids across Saskatchewan get a good meal at school while putting more money back in parents’ pockets. It’s a simple, practical way to support families and set our kids up to do their best in the classroom and in life,” said Belanger.
Funding is provided to Saskatchewan school divisions based on the Prekindergarten to Grade 12 funding distribution model, which considers factors that influence the cost of programming such as school location, enrolment and student needs.
"The National School Food Program is designed to provide nutritious meals that fuel learning and support the health of families and communities," Saskatoon Public Schools Board Chair Kim Stranden said. "Access to proper nutrition enhances student attendance, engagement, and ultimately academic success. The National School Food funding will strengthen and expand existing school nutrition programs, foster local food systems, and promote food literacy education across the division."
The program is part of the federal government's work to build a more affordable Canada. These include the Canada Child Benefit and other investments made through targeted social programs and income supplements, helping to bring down costs for families so they can get ahead.
During the media availability, Belanger pointed out this investment is going to help children especially in northern communities.
“Indigenous children have some of the highest rates of food insecurity in Canada. That’s why we are working directly with partners, to make sure we get this right,” Belanger said.
The program now supports many schools across the province, including in northern communities, helping families who may struggle to provide three meals a day. Schools are selected based on highest need. The new funding gives them additional resources to offer more meals and snacks to students.
“As a parent myself, I struggle every morning to figure out what to put in my son’s lunch,” said Kim Stranden, SPS board chair.
“This program will help us facilitate the kind of positive outcome that give our students the best start possible. The impact can extend past the classroom as we have seen,” Kropf welcomed the announcement.
As announced in Budget 2024, the Government of Canada is investing $1 billion over five years to implement the National School Food Program, working with provinces and territories and Indigenous partners to enhance and expand school food programming across Canada. The National School Food Program is a landmark investment that is expected to provide access to nutritious food at school, for up to 400,000 children each year. By supporting the health and academic success of students, including those living in food-insecure households, the program promotes healthier futures and more affordability to Canadian families. That is why the Government of Canada intends to make the National School Food Program permanent. The program will receive permanent funding of $216.6 million per year, starting in 2029-30.
