Struggling to meet the need: Hundreds of schools on the waiting list for a school meal program

Across the country, millions of families are struggling to put food on the table.

Breakfast clubs are doing their best to fill the growing need and make sure children have access to what’s often called the most important meal of the day.

Longtime volunteer Richard Parent prepares breakfast at a Montreal school every morning.

“There isn’t equal access to food,” says Parent. “I’ve had children tell me this is their only meal of the day.”

From waffles to cereal, Parent serves a variety of breakfasts.

“Milk products, fruit, and protein each morning, it’s important for us,” said Parent. “It’s the same breakfast for everyone. Not everyone has the same opportunity to eat at home.”

The Breakfast Club of Canada says the number of kids they are serving has doubled since 2019, and there is now a lengthy waitlist.

“Over 700 schools have submitted a request to our organization because they need help,” says Judith Barry, co-founder of Breakfast Club of Canada.

Barry said it has been two years since they made the difficult decision that they can’t take on any new programs.

“We have limited funds. Our expenses are higher than our revenues and the existing network is experiencing huge gaps. We’re trying to maintain and support the existing network before onboarding new programs,” said Barry.

The organization is also feeling the impact of inflation.

“There are more children attending the program and that are in need of the programs and at the other end of the spectrum, the cost of the programs are higher to run. With the increased cost of food and rising costs in transportation and even the equipment to support the programs, it’s hard,” said Barry.

According to the federal government, one in five children in Canada are at risk of going to school hungry on any given day.

In late October, the government said it received input from a variety of stakeholders, including provincial and territorial governments, service delivery organizations, academic experts, school communities, as well as children and youth, who overwhelmingly shared that school food programs benefit children.

Officials said this input will help the federal government develop a national school food policy, a promise the Liberals made two years ago, to tackle the issue of food insecurity in Canada.