On October 10, 2025, Prime Minister Carney announced that the federal government is making the National School Food Program permanent. The program provides meals for up to 400,000 children in Canada and aims to save families with two children $800 per year on groceries.

Canada was previously the only G7 country with no national school food program. First announced in Budget 2024 with an investment of $1 billion over five years (2025-29), the National School Food Program will now receive permanent funding of $216.6 million per year starting in 2029/30. The Government of Canada has signed bilateral agreements with all provinces and territories to continue implementation and expansion of the program.

MAP’s contribution: In Fall 2022, MAP Scientist Dr. Katerina Maximova was part of the national opening roundtable to shape the new pan-Canadian School Food Policy. Dr. Maximova’s role was to provide a research perspective and help ensure that the policy is grounded in the best available evidence.

“This funding is already improving the lives of many thousands of children in Canada,” said Dr. Maximova. “To make it permanent was always the goal. It’s a very exciting day.”

In January 2025, Dr. Maximova also advised the City of Toronto on implementation of the federal funding, through their Universal Student Food Program Steering Committee. The City subsequently committed to providing a morning meal in all Toronto school communities by the 2026/2027 school year and to introduce a lunch program by 2030.