Social Development Minister Jenna Sudds’ office did not provide evidence to support claims that the national school lunch program will save families $800 a year. Blacklock's Reporter says advocates warn that achieving the program's goals would require billions of dollars, not the $200 million currently budgeted annually.“For families who manage to put enough food on the table but struggle to pay for it, this program is expected to save the average participating family with two children as much as $800 per year in grocery costs,” stated a report by Sudds’ department on the National School Food Policy.Sudds reiterated the $800 savings figure in her June 18 remarks to reporters. “This will save parents on average about $800 a year,” she said. “This is real targeted support for parents.”The $800 claim breaks down to $2.20 per child per day over 180 school days. However, no existing school lunch program in Canada can feed children for as little as $2.20 per day, according to a 2023 Cost Analysis Of Providing School Food Program by the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Medicine.Sudds’ office did not explain how the $800 savings were calculated, and the Department of Social Development did not provide a comment.Sudds also claimed the government's $200 million annual subsidy would feed 400,000 children a year. “We’re taking action,” Sudds told the Commons on May 9. “We’re creating a national school food program, providing meals for up to 400,000 additional children.”To meet this target, meal costs would need to average $2.78 per day per child. However, no province spends as little as $2.78 per day on school food programs. Actual meal costs in the eight provinces that run programs average $6.45 per day, with costs reaching as high as $9.86 in British Columbia, according to the College of Medicine study.“There is currently little to no literature available regarding Canadian school food programs’ costs, including the wide range of characteristics among them such as administration, type of meals provided, coverage, or funding sources,” noted the College report.Judith Barry, co-founder of the Breakfast Club of Canada, testified at the Senate national finance committee on June 5 that feeding 400,000 children would require significantly more funding. “We would need billions,” said Barry. “There are 180 school days. We would need at least $3 to $6 per child per day.” Currently, about 20 percent of the student population is enrolled in a school food program, she said.
