Next Steps for School Meals

Next Steps for School Meals is a province-wide consultation about a school lunch program in Newfoundland and Labrador. Food First NL will create a report and recommend options to implement this program based on what we learn.

In the next few years, the provincial government is expanding the school meal program to reach every Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 9 student. Right now, our school meal services are a patchwork. Some schools have private operators, some have a lunch program run by the School Lunch Association or volunteer staff or parents, and others have no in-school meals. Expanding programs to include all students will require a lot of consideration and work. With the expansion starting in September 2024, now is the time to plan for the next steps.

Project Goals

Over the coming year, we are working with partners to:

  • See which Pre-K to Grade 9 schools already offer in-school meals and learn how they operate.

  • Hear from people involved about what schools and meal providers need to offer all students in-school meals. This could include infrastructure (like kitchen equipment), training, staffing, etc.

  • Recommend options to expand school meal programs in a way that works for everyone. We’ll focus on how to roll out the program effectively and equitably.

Upcoming Focus Groups

We want to hear from you about how the school meal program should develop for Pre-K to Grade 9 schools across Newfoundland and Labrador. Join any of the following public focus groups to share your thoughts about the posted topic.

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Check back or follow us on social media (@foodfirstnl) for new, upcoming focus groups.

Our Process and Next Steps

The first step in our consultation process was creating an Advisory Committee for the project. The Committee includes representatives from the provincial government, French and English school boards, school meal providers, dietitians, Indigenous governments, and others.

Over the coming months, we will hear from as many people as possible. We’re hosting focus groups and interviews with parents, teachers, students, school meal providers, etc. All of this information will be summarized in a final report.

We presented what we’ve heard so far at the Next Steps for School Meals Summit in May. We discussed the recommendations with our partners at the Summit and will include their feedback in the final report.

Next Steps for School Meals Summit Recordings

 

Provincial experts panel

Grassroots and community leaders panel

 

National experts panel

Keynote address from chef and activist, Joshna Maharaj

 

Why It’s Time to Focus on School Meals

The need for universal school meals in our province is clear. One in four children in Newfoundland and Labrador live in a food-insecure household.

The good news is that funding is on the way. In the fall of 2023, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador announced school meal funding for all Pre-K to Grade 9 students. The first $3 million of this funding was announced in the 2024 provincial budget. We also look forward to learning details of the funding promised through the federal government’s National School Food Program and learning more about the National School Food Policy recommendations.

Now is a great time to look at what’s working, what isn’t, and what needs to change. Current meal programs and services are facing huge challenges. Rising food prices are driving up costs, and funding is getting stretched thinner and thinner. Some school lunch program operators are stopping their services and withdrawing from schools. This leaves a growing number of schools without any in-school meal services. Right now is a good opportunity to grow and improve existing programs.

Contact

Sign up for our monthly newsletter to receive updates about Next Steps for School Meals and Food First NL!

Specific questions about the project? Reach out to Program Coordinator, Ashley Byrne, at ashley@foodfirstnl.ca, or call and leave a message at (709) 237-4026