Government of Canada opens consultations with Canadians on a national school food policy

Nov 16, 2022

OTTAWA, ON, -One in five children in Canada are at risk of going to school hungry on any given day. School meal programs can help reduce hunger and food insecurity, improve children's access to nutritious food, improve academic outcomes and achievement, and help support families by reducing food costs. Today, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould announced the opening of the consultations with Canadians to seek feedback on a national school food policy.

The input received through the online questionnaire will help build towards a national school food policy that is responsive to the evolving needs of children and families, while also setting a foundation for a future where more children in Canada have access to nutritious food while at school.

A national school food policy needs to take into account the diverse realities of children in Canada, their families and their schools, and it should constructively build on the programs that already exist. The Government wants to hear the diverse perspectives of Canadians to learn from their experiences with school food programs. In addition to the online questionnaire, the Government of Canada has launched a series of thematic roundtable discussions with key stakeholders, such as the Breakfast Club of Canada and Ottawa Network for Education, as well as including teachers, school administrators, parents, children and youth. The Government of Canada is also engaging directly with Indigenous partners, provinces and territories.

The online questionnaire will be available on the Government of Canada's Consulting with Canadians webpage from November 16 to December 16.

Source : Newswire.ca

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