The Ontario government is investing $108.5 million over the next three years to expand the National School Food Program, providing free meals to more children across the province. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the deal on November 22, 2024 marking Ontario’s participation as the third province to join the initiative following Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador. 

This funding will help off-set the logistics cost of transporting food for storage and preparation; this will enable the provision of proper nutrition to 160,000 children in Ontario at school this year. It is expected to expand the reach of existing school meal programs in Ontario by near about 760,000 students annually from 600,000. 

The fact that children who go to school hungry will have a difficulty in focusing on their education and overall well-being during the announcement at Brampton, Ont., was an important point made by Trudeau, such as the fact that the program’s success in Ontario will set the country in general. 

The $108.5 million investment will translate into about 9.8 million more meals served, including 130,000 in Indigenous communities. Ottawa is providing healthier foods for 400,000 more young children each year through the program-one part of a larger federal five-year commitment of $1 billion. 

Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu has stated that the program helps families by reducing the burden of food costs, ensuring that children in many underserved communities have healthy meals.  

According to him, this is a game changer since it has a hand in children’s health and the potential for their success in schools. 

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he supports the program, saying that it aligns with his long-standing commitment to ensuring children have the nourishment they need to succeed. On the other hand, the Conservative Party trashed the limited scope of the program, saying it only covers a small percentage of the student population in Ontario. 

However, the federal government still holds that the program will help families considerably by relieving the burden of money from parents’ pockets and supporting the education and health of children.