The Ontario government is taking the nutrition of students seriously.
The province has announced it is topping up the Student Nutrition Program (SNP) and the First Nations Student Nutrition Program (FNSNP) by $5 million.
The added funding puts the total investment by the province in the programs at $37.5 million.
According to a release, the two programs will serve over 800,000 students, including more than 1.4 million meals to students in Indigenous communities.
“Students deserve every chance to succeed, and that starts with proper nutrition,” said Paul Calandra, Minister of Education in a statement. “By increasing our investment in Ontario’s student nutrition programs, our government is taking action to ensure more students have access to healthy meals that help them learn, grow and give them the support they need to succeed now and in the future.”
More than 80 per cent of provincially-funded schools participate in the Student Nutrition Program.
The First Nations Student Nutrition Program is offered in 161 educational settings in 66 First Nations communities and 27 urban Indigenous communities across the province.
