The provincial government says its province-wide school lunch program announced in March will start to be rolled out in the fall.
Education Minister Becky Druhan said in a letter to students and families dated April 30 that the first phase of the initiative will be focused on making lunches available to pre-primary and elementary students.
“This phased approach ensures younger students, who are proven to benefit most both mentally and physically from nutritious meals, can access healthy lunches at school as quickly as possible,” Druhan wrote.
She said the program is designed to be affordable for all students and free for any who need it, with no stigmas because families and staff won’t know who pays or how much. It will support programs already in place across the province.
School administrators have received information in the schools included in the first phase, including the suggested model to provide the program. Schools not included in the first phase will receive that information later in the next school year.
Programs already in place for lunch and breakfast will continue to be funded, the minister said.
School advisory committees will be consulted about the individual needs of their school communities, Druhan said, and the department will be working with the federal government to find out how the new national school food program will work with the provincial program.
