Saving Families Time and Money; Beck Announces Healthy School Food Program
For immediate release: September 5, 2024
SAVING FAMILIES TIME AND MONEY; BECK ANNOUNCES HEALTHY SCHOOL FOOD PROGRAM
REGINA - Today, Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck, joined by Regina Food for Learning and Executive Director Lin Gennutt, announced that she will save families money, support producers, and set kids up for success with a healthy school food program.
“This program is very near and dear to my heart,” said Beck. “We want to ensure that every child here in Saskatchewan has the ability to thrive in school and that starts by ensuring that no child goes to school hungry.”
“Not only will this program save families money when they head out to the grocery store but it also gives parents a little more time with their kids on those hectic mornings, knowing that their school will have access to locally-sourced, healthy food.”
The Saskatchewan NDP’s healthy school food program will provide operating funding to school divisions, schools, parent groups, or non-profits that organize to deliver food to students in public, separate, or francophone schools in Saskatchewan. The program will be locally adapted and integrated with existing programs to meet the individual needs of every school board and school. It will start with an initial provincial investment of $10 million, ramping up to $55.5 million annually by the end of the government term. A Saskatchewan NDP Government would also conclude a deal with the federal government to bolster funding.
The program will focus on the use of food grown or raised in Saskatchewan through partnerships with the world-class producers and processors in Saskatchewan’s agricultural sector to promote the importance of grown-in-Saskatchewan products.
“I grew up on a farm near Lang and I want our kids to know how hard our producers work to feed the world,” said Beck. “In a province with world-class producers, our kids should be proud, not hungry.”
A Saskatchewan NDP government would take advantage of federal grants, like the National School Food Program, and work hand-in-hand with local non-profit providers – like Regina Food for Learning, schools, and school boards in order to roll out the initiative.
Canada is the only G7 country without a national school food program. Of the provinces that have implemented programs, Saskatchewan has the lowest provincial per-student funding for school food programs in Canada, with four cents per student per day.
Beck kicked off her campaign for change last week with a guarantee to not raise taxes and will soon release a fully-cost platform that balances the budget in her first term.
