What is the Feeding Futures school food program?
The Ministry has allocated $71.5 million per year in dedicated, multi-year funding to school districts to increase food security for students by expanding or creating school food programs. This new funding is part of government’s broader Feeding Futures School Food Programs Framework, which is a commitment to ensure students are properly fed for learning in order to enhance positive academic and healthy outcomes. Feeding Futures School Food Programs (FFSFP) funding addresses the top two barriers identified by schools in the province, which are sustainable and consistent food funding and human resources. This first year of funding is flexible to provide districts with time to develop a longer-term approach to delivering school food programs.
What is the purpose of the new school food program ?
The Feeding Futures program will address the immediate need of feeding students and builds on the progress made with the Student and Family Affordability Fund to help reduce the challenges of rising food costs for families who need it most. This funding is expected to reach 20% of the students who are facing food insecurity across the province.
What Does this mean for Chilliwack School District Students and Families?
School District 33 will continue offering food programs that are already in place for breakfast and lunch. The additional funding will be used to ensure a more consistent breakfast is offered to students based on need across all schools in the district. We will continue to utilize and strengthen our partnership with Chilliwack Bowls of Hope by increasing our lunch offerings and reach more students. Two of our secondary schools will be providing lunches for students in need of food support using their culinary programs.
September - December 2023
Feeding Futures School Food Program will assess the needs of the students in our district to ensure they are fed and ready to learn by providing them with stigma-free access to healthy, local food. The immediate focus areas will be breakfast, lunch, and the safe handling of food. Schools will be supported to establish a more uniform breakfast and lunch program offered across the district and ensure all sites are following healthy food and safe food standards outlined in the School Meal and School Nutrition Program Handbook.
January - March 2024
Asses students needs across the district and accessibility to the food programs by collecting feedback.
For more information, please contact Rosanne James, Coordinator of Food Programs at ebfnaar_wnzrf@fq33.op.pnac.cb.33ds@semaj_ennasor or 604-701-4911.