Employment and Social Development Canada
Alberta: Healthy Kids’ Meals, Family Savings
March 10, 2025 (Edmonton Alberta) Employment and Social Development Canada
School food programs ensure kids have access to nutritious meals throughout the school year, while saving families hundreds of dollars on their grocery bills.
Today, the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, and the Honourable Demetrios Nicolaides, Alberta’s Minister of Education, announced an agreement that will enhance and expand Alberta’s school food programs, which currently serve approximately 58,000 kids in participating schools across the province. With this agreement, families in Alberta with two children in school can save an estimated $800 in grocery bills a year on average.
The National School Food Program is a direct investment into the middle class – helping teachers and making mornings a little easier for working families. It is also a safety net for the kids who need this support the most. As part of this agreement, the Government of Canada will invest approximately $42.2 million over the next three years. Alberta will work with school jurisdictions to maximize the impact of federal funding to feed more kids and enhance existing nutrition programs for Alberta’s students. This includes serving healthier meals, ensuring adequate staff for food preparation, and purchasing needed equipment and infrastructure to support program implementation.
Building a National School Food Program that works for families is part of the federal government’s commitment to make life 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.
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/news/2025/03/healthy-meals-for-kids-savings-for-families-in-alberta.html