A Positive Step Forward for School Food in Canada: Federal Budget 2025 update

OTTAWA, November 4, 2025 - I’m writing just coming out of the budget lockup to share good news that today’s 2025 federal budget reiterated several times PM Carney’s October 10 announcement that the federal government will make the National School Food Program permanent with a continued investment of $216.6M per year beginning in the 2029-30 fiscal year. We have been told that the yearly budget amounts from 2024-29 (see below) that were committed in the 2024 federal budget will remain the same. 

Specifically, in Chapter 3 on Page 162, we see the words: 

Making the National School Food Program Permanent. 

Every child deserves to have the food they need to get a fair start in life, regardless of their family’s circumstances. Launched in 2024-25 with an investment of $1 billion over five years, the National School Food Program aims to provide meals to 400,000 more kids every year, beyond those served by existing school food programs. The program is saving participating families with two children an average of $800 per year on groceries. 

The National School Food Program is helping provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners expand their existing school food programs to make sure more children across the country can enjoy the healthy meals they need. The Program is good for parents and kids, and it is good for the economy as well. It is helping take pressure off of families and directly supporting the success of our kids, while improving children's health, education, and well-being.

As announced on October 10, 2025, Budget 2025 proposes to introduce legislation and provide $216.6 million per year, starting in 2029-30, to Employment and Social Development Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, to make the National School Food Program permanent.” 

This commitment is also stated in Annex 5 – Legislative Measures: “Making the National School Food Program Permanent: In Budget 2025, the government proposes to introduce legislation to make the National School Food Program permanent.”

The budget line in Chapter 3, Section 3.2 (Tackling Affordability) on page 177: Making the National School Food Program Permanent includes: $217M in 2029-30 and 2030-31. We have been told that the 2025 budget only includes new amounts and so these will follow the 2024 budget amounts of $79 million in the 2024-25 fiscal year, $201 million in 2025-26, $218 million in 2026-27, $241 million in 2027-28 and $261 million in 2028-29.

There is no mention of a renewed School Food Infrastructure Fund (SFIF) or Local Food Infrastructure Fund (LFIF), or of the $20M per year investment in the Buy Canadian in the School Food Program that was stated in the Liberal 2025 pre-election platform. These are both important initiatives that the Coalition will continue to advocate for into the future.

In Budget 2025 this investment has been framed as an affordability measure, stating in the Introduction (page 24) that “Our new government has been focused on bringing down costs and creating new opportunities for Canadians. We have: (…) Made the National School Food Program permanent to provide meals to up to 400,000 children every year, allowing participating families with two children to save an average of $800 per year.” And on page 25 “We are protecting vital social programs that millions of Canadians rely on - National School Food Program, 400K.”

We also see language regarding impacts stating that “This measure will primarily benefit children through improved learning outcomes, particularly for those who are at higher risk of experiencing food insecurity. Data from Statistics Canada shows that in 2022, 16.9 per cent of Canadians were food insecure, compared with 12.9 per cent in 2021. Overall, the proportion of people living in households experiencing food insecurity has increased by 5.3 percentage points from 2018 to 2022. Studies from Statistics Canada show that children living in lone-parent families (particularly women lone-parent families), children belonging to racialised group or Indigenous children are at a greater risk of experiencing food insecurity.”

In summary, the Coalition is thrilled to see the reaffirmed commitment to make the National School Food Program permanent. We would, as with the 2024 budget, have liked to see more language on the health, educational and community economic benefits of a National School Food Program rather than having the main focus be on food insecurity. Although school food programs can support families by relieving some pressure from household grocery budgets, they are not a replacement for robust income supports. 

We will continue to communicate to the government as this program rolls out that while $216.6 million per year is a very strong start, it is insufficient funding for a universal program, and we will be urging the government to grow the program so that it reaches all Canadian children and youth. We will also work to encourage renewed investment in the School Food Infrastructure Fund, the Buy Canadian promise, and funding for a National School Food Program Research Partnership as we requested in our 2025 pre-budget submission. 

You will find the entire budget here in English and French.

We look forward to continuing to work with the federal government to inform the proposed legislation as well as to work with provinces and territories to support implementation so that the programs that are rolled out can meet their full potential. 

Carolyn Webb

For more information

Debbie Field National Coordinator Coalition for Healthy School Food schoolfood@foodsecurecanada.org 416-537-6856

Carolyn Webb (available for French and English interviews) Knowledge Mobilization Coordinator

Coalition for Healthy School Food  cwebb@sustainontario.ca 613-852-7709