In April 2024, the Government of Canada announced a one-billion-dollar commitment over five years for the development of a national school food program. In June 2024, Employment and Social Development Canada followed that up by releasing a national school food policy that lays out the federal government’s long-term vision for school food and will act as “a roadmap that can guide the delivery of school food programs” in Canada (Employment and Social Development Canada, 2024).
As the national school food program rolls out, many schools will be undertaking school food programs (SFPs) for the first time, assessing their needs and capacity, and creating new SFPs from scratch. Others will be taking stock of their existing programs; evaluating and prioritizing their students’ needs; assessing the strengths, and challenges of current models; and making plans for upscaling and improving on past successes. This guide will help both groups by offering information and recommendations for conducting needs assessments and engaging key partners; and providing guidance for community consultation and collaboration.
Download and read the guide here
