The federal government’s new national school food program is a great first step toward meeting the nutritional needs of Toronto’s children, but there is more work to be done. This CBC article explores the dire state of student nutrition programs across the city as they navigate higher food costs and increased student need. To read the full article: click here.                                                    The post Federal food program ‘fantastic’ but stud ..read more

Great news! The Canadian Government announced a National School Food Program, pledging $1 billion over five years to feed kids as grocery prices continue to rise. The program is hoping to provide healthy school meals to roughly 400,000 children who are not served by existing school-based programs,   To read the full article: click here.                    The post Justin Trudeau announces national school food program amid rising grocery prices | Toronto Star appeared first on Toronto Foundation for Student Success ..read more

Kids across Ontario are experiencing vision loss at startling rates. As of 2018, nearly 30 per cent of Ontarian kids aged 11 to 13 had myopia, also known as nearsightedness. Experts say this figure has skyrocketed to epidemic levels since the pandemic.    To read the full article: click here.                            The post Young children are facing an epidemic of vision loss, experts say. What’s behind the surge in myopia? | Toronto Star appeared first on Toronto Foundation for Student Success ..read more

The Government of Alberta announced it is investing $5 million to improve school nutrition programs across the province. Alberta’s school nutrition program already provides daily meals to approximately 58,000 students, and this one-time grants aims to help schools in need to create, continue or enhance nutrition programs. This grant increases the pre-existing funding by 25 per cent, bringing the total from $20 million to $25 million for the 2023-24 school year.   To read the full article: click here.    The post Alberta Government Funding School Nutrition Programs | Let ..read more

Canada is experiencing a public health crisis. Nearly 1 in 5 families are reporting food insecurity and are struggling to put a “square” meal on the table amidst the cost-of-living crisis. This is a major cause for concern, given that poor nutrition is linked to development delays for kids and other serious physical and psychological illnesses. As more and more families sacrifice nutrition in order to make ends meet, advocates are calling for the Federal Government to regulate the cost of healthy, nutritious food in order to ensure that good nutrition is affordable and accessible to all.&nb ..read more

Manitoba is set to introduce Canada’s most comprehensive student meal program for the upcoming school year, allocating $30 million for a “universally accessible” nutrition program from kindergarten to Grade 12. The initiative aims to address the impact of hunger on students’ ability to learn and promote positive health outcomes. “This is going to make kids happier. This is going to make kids healthier. This is going to make kids want to read more, do more math, get better report cards,” said Manitoba Premiere, Wab Kinew. To learn, click here: https://shorturl.at/kpwzX  The post School Me ..read more

  A national school food program would do more than feed students by Policy Options. Originally published on Policy Options January 3, 2024 Now that the holiday break is over for many school children, it’s time to return to the routine of school lunches and early morning breakfasts. But new data suggests that for many families with children, this may be difficult. Food insecurity has soared to record levels, with the cost of housing pushing many to cut back on nutrition. In the face of these financial uncertainties, the demand for both immediate relief and sustainable solutions becomes in ..read more

Today, the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, Hon. Michael Parsa and the Minister of Education, Hon. Stephen Lecce announced an additional $5 million investment in Ontario’s Student Nutrition Program and the First Nations Student Nutrition Program. To learn more, click here. The post Ontario to Invest $5 Million in Student Nutrition Programming | A Statement from SNO appeared first on Toronto Foundation for Student Success ..read more

A new report by Children First Canada highlights a 29% increase in food insecurity, with one in four children lacking sufficient access to food. As need rises, Student Nutrition Programs play a crucial role in keeping children nourished. To help, visit https://tfss.ca/donate/. To read more, click here: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/food-insecurity-among-canadian-school-age-children-jumps-by-nearly-30/article_52dc2cf5-1e2d-5a02-9ae1-48e4fac11a75.html The post Food insecurity among Canadian school-age children jumps by nearly 30% | Toronto Star appeared first on Toronto Foundation for Student ..read more

Advocacy groups, teachers’ unions and food banks are calling on the Ontario government to provide a free breakfast and lunch program in schools across the province. In a letter sent to Education Minister Stephen Lecce and Children Minister Michael Parsa on Wednesday, the collection of organizations said many children in Ontario are facing food insecurity that forces them to rely on food banks for their nutritional needs. Read the full article here: https://toronto.citynews.ca/2023/05/24/ontario-free-school-breakfast-lunch/          The post Advocates, teacher unions ..read more