Breakfast Club of Canada applauds the federal government’s steps to address food insecurity as announced in Budget 2021

Breakfast Club of Canada applauds the federal government’s steps to address food insecurity as announced in Budget 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated economic and food insecurity for families across the country and has hit the most vulnerable the hardest. The measures announced in today’s budget will take important steps towards supporting Canadian families. 

National and community student nutrition stakeholders have long called for the federal government to establish a National School Food Program to provide access to healthy food to all school-aged children and help them to strive. We know that one of the best ways to provide support for these children and their families is through a national program that provides nutritious meals to children, and that is accessible in schools from coast-to-coast-to-coast. We urge the federal government to deliver on the commitment made in Budget 2019 to work with provincial and territorial governments to establish a National School Food Program. The need for such a program is greater than ever before, with the COVID-19 pandemic increasing the need amongst children and families and disrupting schooling throughout 2020 and 2021.  

A National School Food Program will alleviate food insecurity for children and families as we strive to ensure that no child is left behind – an objective that has become even more crucial in light of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating economic insecurity and hitting the most vulnerable the hardest. A National School Food Program is particularly important to establish quickly, as students and teachers prepare for a return to classrooms for the 2021 school year. A National School Food Program is an essential part of a safe, inclusive, and resilient return to school to position our children for success.  

‘’We thank the federal government for taking important steps towards addressing food insecurity. We look forward to continuing to work with the federal government, provincial and territorial partners, and community stakeholders to implement the National School Food Program as soon as possible,’’ says Daniel Germain, President and Founder of Breakfast Club of Canada.