Healthy meals for kids, savings for families in Nova Scotia

Press Release

From: Employment and Social Development Canada

February 24, 2025

School food programs make life easier. They provide healthy meals to kids throughout the school year. They also save working families hundreds of dollars in grocery bills.

Today, the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, the Honourable Darren Fisher, Minister of Veteran Affairs Canada and the Honourable Brendan Maguire, Nova Scotia’s Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development announced an agreement between Canada and Nova Scotia under the National School Food Program. It will enhance school breakfast programming for all 373 schools across the province, which is currently serving approximately 52,000 kids this school year. With this agreement, families in Nova Scotia with two children in school can save $800 in grocery bills a year on average.

As part of this agreement, the Government of Canada will invest approximately $12.4 million over the next three years to feed more kids. For the 2024-25 school year, that will include offering a more robust and consistent breakfast program in schools across the province, purchasing new kitchen equipment, hiring additional program coordinators, and developing new recipes for the launch of the next phase of the pay-what-you-can lunch program. These enhancements are particularly significant for rural and remote communities in Nova Scotia and will provide children most affected by food insecurity with access to more consistent and nutritious meals at school.

Building a National School Food Program that works for families is part of the federal government’s commitment to help life be more affordable for families across the country so they can focus on raising their kids. We’re creating more middle-class jobs, building more homes, expanding affordable dental care and creating more affordable child care spots – so they can buy the things they need and save for the things they want.

Quotes

“Every child deserves the chance to learn, grow, and reach their full potential—but that’s hard to do on an empty stomach. That’s why we’re making sure kids in Nova Scotia have access to healthy meals at school. It means kids can focus on being kids, parents save money on grocery bills, and families get a little more breathing room. When we invest in families, especially our kids, we’re investing in a brighter future for all of us.”

– The Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

“I’ve long advocated for a National School Food Program because kids need good, healthy food in their bellies so they can focus on learning, growing, and pursuing their dreams. This program, along with smart measures like the tax-free Canada Child Benefit, is helping parents save money while investing in the well-being of Canada’s greatest asset—our kids”

– The Honourable Darren Fisher, Minister of Veteran Affairs Canada

“The National School Food program will help with affordability for families by reducing the need to buy school meals. This program is going to allow children to focus on learning rather than hunger and ensure students have the fuel they need to learn, grow, and reach their full potential.”

– Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

“With this agreement, Nova Scotia becomes the sixth province to partner with us under our National School Food Program. This is the best kind of investment we can make – we’re lowering costs for families and making sure that no child goes hungry at school.”

– The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

“The Government of Nova Scotia has made tremendous strides in ensuring no student is sitting in class hungry. Through our universal free breakfast program and new Nova Scotia School Lunch Program, we’re making sure all students can focus on learning. I am excited to see how this new funding through the Government of Canada’s National School Food Program can enhance the amazing work underway in Nova Scotia.”

– The Honourable Brendan Maguire, Nova Scotia’s Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development

“To prepare our children to better learn and concentrate, we’re helping provide nutritious meals at schools across Nova Scotia. Access to healthy food not only sets students up for success in the classroom, it also helps families save time and money. I’ve seen the positive impact our school food programs are having, and I’m proud we are partnering to expand their reach.”

– Lena Metlege Diab, Member of Parliament for Halifax West, Nova Scotia

Quick facts

Following the recently signed agreements with Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick, Nova Scotia is thesixth province to work with the Government of Canada to increase access to nutritious meals in schools for children across the country. So far, the National School Food Program will help feed over 293,000 kids, putting us over halfway of reaching 400,000 kids this school year. We will continue working with all provinces, territories, Indigenous partners, and stakeholders to ensure every child in Canada has the food they need to reach their full potential.
Budget 2024’s investment of $1 billion over five years includes distinctions-based funding for First Nations on reserve as well as Inuit, Métis, and Modern Treaty and Self-Government agreement holders. We are working directly with Indigenous partners on the rollout of that funding, with more information to come.
In addition to the National School Food Program, the federal government launched the new School Food Infrastructure Fund in September. The Fund will deliver over $20 million to help not-for-profit organizations invest in infrastructure and equipment to support school food programming across Canada.
Participating families with two kids in school can save an estimated $800 a year, on average. It means lower grocery bills for families and school meals for kids – helping them learn, grow, and get the best start in life.
Nova Scotia announced a new, universal, pay-what-you-can school lunch program as part of Budget 2024-25, with an annual $18.8 million investment beginning in the 2024-25 school year.
Federal investment through the National School Food Program agreement will help Nova Scotia build on their existing programming, including enhancing their universal breakfast program and increasing support for the next phase of their pay-what-you-can lunch program. Nova Scotia has a total of 373 schools in the province, with over 131,000 students.

Associated links

Contacts
For media enquiries, please contact:

Geneviève Lemaire
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
genevieve.lemaire@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

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