In 2024, the Alberta government committed to an additional, one-time $5 million grant to expand the province’s school nutrition program for a total of $25 million invested.

 

The funding was provided through regular funding channels, with encouragement for each school district and school board to partner with community organizations to meet the food needs of their students. An estimate of 58,000 students in participating schools benefit from the school nutrition program. 

 

This increase follows the 2022/2023 pilot study investing $3 million in grant funding to non-profit organizations to deliver nutrition programs in partnership with school authorities.

 

Despite an additional 43 schools and 2,868 students served under the pilot, the pilot was ended and returned to the previous model for the 2023/2024 school year. Noted drawbacks of the pilot included the restricted delivery of a province-wide School Nutrition Program by a single non-profit organization, and the preference of school authorities to retain control over funding and decision making. 

Following the Federal commitment of $1 billion over five years for a National School Food Program, we urge the provincial government to accept the federal funds and build on an agreement with the Government of Canada to provide meaningful and on-going support for families, children, and youth in Alberta in school nutrition funding.