Question Period Note: NATIONAL SCHOOL FOOD PROGRAM

Update on the National School Food Program . Canada had approximately 6.6 million school-aged children (ages 4-18) in 2024 according to Statistics Canada population estimates.

According to the 2023 Canadian Income Survey (released on May 1, 2025):

802,000 children (persons under 18) were living below the poverty line.

The poverty rate for children and youth (persons under 18) increased by 4.3 percentage points to 10.7% in 2023, up from 6.4% in 2021.

Food insecurity among children and youth in Canada’s provinces increased to 32.9% in 2023, up from 28.4% in 2022, with 24.7% of children experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity.

Families with children were more likely to experience food insecurity. Specifically, 52.1% of people living in female lone-parent families and 28.6% of people living in couple families with children experienced food insecurity, representing an increase of 6.1 and 3.9 percentage points from 2022, respectively.  

For the provinces, rates of food insecurity among children and youth are lowest in Quebec (27.5%) and highest in Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick, at 39.9%. While data on children experiencing food insecurity in the territories are not available, rates of food insecurity, in general, in the territories are high, with 37.4% of people living in a household that experienced food insecurity. Food insecurity rates varied by territory, with Nunavut (58.1%) having the highest rate, followed by the Northwest Territories (34.2%) and then Yukon (21.8%).

School food programs can provide numerous benefits, with research from peer countries suggesting that every dollar invested in school food yields an estimated $2 to $6 in social returns.

Studies show that children and youth who participate in robust school food programs go on to earn 3-5% more than those who did not.

School food programs can also have long-lasting impacts on children’s educational attainment, nutrition, and overall well-being.

Prior to federal investment, school food programs funded by provincial and territorial governments had reached at least one in four school-aged children during the 2023-24 school year.

Provinces and territories continue to make investments in school food programming, with total funding estimated at almost $400 million for the 2025-26 school year. However, persistent affordability pressures have meant that the demand for school food programming continues to grow.

Announced in Budget 2024 and launched in 2024-25 with an investment of $1 billion over five years, the National School Food Program supports provinces, territories and Indigenous partners to enhance and expand access to school food programs across the country, guided by the National School Food Policy which sets out a long-term vision for school food programming in Canada. The National School Food Program aims to provide meals to up to 400,000 kids every year.

Each province and territory is responsible for maintaining commitments made through their National School Food Program bilateral agreement with the Government of Canada, including to report annually on implementation progress, results and expenditures. Given that the Program is in early implementation, with 2024-25 being the first year, final reporting from provinces and territories is not yet complete. 

Budget 2025 proposed to introduce legislation and provide $216.6 million per year, starting in 2029-30, to make the National School Food Program permanent. The National School Food Program Act, tabled as part of the Budget 2025 Implementation Act No.1, reinforces the Government of Canada’s commitment to maintain sustained, long-term federal funding for the Program, helping to ensure improved access to nutritious food, while also meeting the essential needs of families and supporting their well-being. The Act was enshrined in law on March 26, 2026.

On April 8, 2026, a new school-food focused research funding opportunity was announced: the Funding Research Evidence in School Food (FRESH) Team Grant

A total of $12.6 million is available over three years to support school food research through FRESH. This includes: $9 million from Employment and Social Development Canada; $2.7 million from the Public Health Agency of Canada; and $900,000 from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Funding will support up to 14 grants.

Applicants must register to apply by June 25, 2026, and will have until October 7, 2026, to submit their applications. The funding start date is January 2027.

Our government is committed to ensuring that children get the healthy food they need to learn and succeed.

Through the National School Food Program, we have signed agreements with provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners to enhance and expand school food programs across Canada.

Budget 2025 proposed to introduce legislation to make the Program permanent, reaffirming our government’s commitment, with an annual investment of $216.6 million, starting in 2029-30.

The National School Food Program Act was enshrined into law on March 26, 2026. The Act sets out our government’s long-term vision for the Program, guided by the National School Food Policy. It cements the government’s commitment to maintain long-term funding for the Program, and to continue working with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners.

The Act is an important step by our government and a generational investment in the future of our children.

This school year, the National School Food Program is supporting school food programs in all provinces and territories. We will continue to work with all our partners in the coming years to ensure that this landmark commitment delivers lasting benefits for children and families and that children have access to the healthy meals they need to reach their full potential.

If pressed [GENERAL]:

National School Food Program funding for provinces and territories doubled to $140 million annually in 2025-26 (relative to $70 million in 2024-25).

For school food programs, this increased investment means more resources to serve healthier meals, ensure adequate staffing, and purchase essential infrastructure. For children and families, this means less learning on an empty stomach and lower grocery bills. On average, these investments can help families across Canada with two children in school save an estimated $800 in grocery bills a year.

Our government continues to work with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners to ensure that even more children across the country have access to healthy meals.

If pressed [NSFP IMPLEMENTATION]

Provinces and territories play a critical role in school food programming as it falls under their jurisdiction, and all currently provide funding for school meals.

Federal funding through the National School Food Program builds on these existing efforts and provides the flexibility for each jurisdiction to determine their own priorities and respond to their needs.

Our government is committed to continue working with our provincial and territorial partners to enhance and expand school food programs across the country.

If pressed [IMPLEMENTATION AND REACH IN QUEBEC]:

Our government is proud to support all provinces and territories, including Quebec, through this historic investment.

The federal investment is supporting Quebec’s existing school food programming which reaches more than 700,000 students enrolled in public schools across the province. With federal funds, Quebec is enhancing and expanding its existing school food programming, by investing in key school food organizations, including the Breakfast Club of Canada and La Cantine pour tous.

If pressed [NSFP PROJECTED/ACTUAL EFFECTS]

Research from peer countries suggests that every dollar invested in school food yields an estimated $2 to $6 in social returns.

School food programs can provide numerous benefits, including:

reducing hunger, food insecurity, and health inequities, acting as social equalizers;   

supporting improved student attendance, academic outcomes, and achievement;   

reducing food costs and preparation time for families; and,   

supporting local farmers, economies, and sustainable food systems and practices. 

We recognize the importance of evidence-based school food programs and we are advancing work to fill key gaps in data and research to build evidence-based programming that supports children and youth, in alignment with the National School Food Policy.

If pressed [FRESH GRANT LAUNCH]

The many benefits of school food programs are well-established through a growing body of international and domestic research. The FRESH Team Grant will bolster the scale and scope of this research across Canada.

Specifically, funding will support up to 14 grants across three funding pools:

Health, Well-Being and Socioeconomic Effects of School Food Programs

Policy and Program Design and Delivery for Equitable Outcomes

School Food Programs and First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Students, Schools and Communities.

Collectively, the research generated from these grants will contribute to the evidence base on the social, economic and health impacts of school food programs and policies in Canada, across diverse settings, contexts and populations.

In doing so, FRESH will help ensure that school food programs in Canada continue to be informed by robust, applied research and real community needs.

Budget 2024 announced the creation of a National School Food Program, which will provide $1 billion over five years to Employment and Social Development Canada, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, and Indigenous Services Canada, starting in 2024-25, to work with provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners to expand access to school food programs. This includes investments for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners, many of whom have some of the highest rates of food insecurity in Canada.

As of March 2025, the Government of Canada has signed National School Food Program agreements with all provinces and territories. These bilateral agreements, covering 2024-25 to 2026-27, will allow the federal government to flow funding to support provinces and territories in enhancing and expanding school food programs, increasing access for more children and improving the quality of programs offered.

Aligning with past bilateral agreements, an asymmetrical approach was taken with Quebec to allow for greater flexibility (e.g., reduced reporting, unconditional payments, etc.).

Provinces and territories play a critical role in school food programming as it falls under their jurisdiction and all currently provide funding for school meals. For the 2025-26 school year, the total annual investment in school food by provinces and territories was estimated at almost $400 million.

Federal funding through the National School Food Program builds on these existing efforts by working collaboratively with provincial and territorial governments and by providing the flexibility for provinces and territories to invest according to their regional priorities and needs. Eligible expenses under the National School Food Program include food purchases; staffing; infrastructure, storage, preparation equipment, and food transportation. Each jurisdiction is best placed to determine their own programming needs.

The federal government continues to work with provinces and territories to flow funding through bilateral agreements and deliver the National School Food Program.

Budget 2024 also provided $62.9 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, to renew and expand AAFC’s Local Food Infrastructure Fund to support community organizations across Canada to invest in local food infrastructure, with priority given to Indigenous and Black communities, along with other equity-deserving groups. Part of the expansion will support community organizations to improve infrastructure for school food programs as a complement to the National School Food Program.

Budget 2025 proposed to introduce legislation and provide $216.6 million per year, starting in 2029-30, to Employment and Social Development Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, to make the National School Food Program permanent. The National School Food Program Act was tabled in the House of Commons through Bill C-15, Budget 2025 Implementation Act No.1., and received Royal Assent on March 26, 2026.

The Act sets out the Government of Canada’s long-term vision for the Program, guided by the National School Food Policy. It cements the government’s commitment to maintain long-term funding for the Program, and to continue working with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners to implement a program that enhances and expands school food programs across Canada.

“We are proud to lead the implementation of the National School Food Program, ensuring more children have access to the nutritious meals they need to support their learning and growth. This program is a cornerstone of our commitment to children and youth, helping to reduce barriers to learning and making life more affordable for their families across the country.”

– The Honourable Anna Gainey, Secretary of State for Children and Yout