As students head back to class, a record number are going to be accessing the breakfast program this school year across Canada.
Breakfast Club of Canada, the country’s largest school food provider, reports it is seeing a record number of children attending supported breakfast programs.
They estimate that at least one in three children in the country is experiencing food insecurity, leading to more pressure on organizations like theirs.
“Since the pandemic … we’ve seen more than a 30 per cent increase in program attendance. So, it means that in every school class or every school each morning, there’s 30 per cent more kids needing a breakfast,” said Francois Jolicoeur, Breakfast Club of Canada’s director of programs.
Add on inflation and tariffs leading to sky-high grocery prices, and Jolicoeur says running a breakfast program is costing more than it used to.
Right now, the organization and its partners serve around 650,000 kids across Canada daily. However, Jolicoeur estimates that, due to increased demand, there are roughly 800,000 kids unable to benefit from their program.
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Jolicoeur emphasized the importance of ensuring every child has a meal to start the day, regardless of their background.
“I challenge everyone that’s listening to us to just try and not have breakfast in the morning and go to work and not eat until 12 o’clock and see how that works for them in terms of, ‘Am I productive? Do I have the right level of attention?’ That’s also true for kids.”
Tommy Kulczyk, president of the Breakfast Club of Canada, said every child deserves an equal chance to succeed regardless of their circumstances.
“Behind these numbers lies immense potential — talents, voices and dreams are at risk due to a lack of access to nutritious food,” Kulczyk said. “Breakfast programs are not a universal solution to today’s challenges, but they remain a beneficial intervention for thousands of students throughout the school year.”
Jolicoeur said while some people may blame the parents, there are many reasons children show up hungry to school, including food insecurity or something as simple as walking up late.
“I think it’s a wrong shortcut to say that a kid that shows up on an empty stomach in the mornings means negligent parents, because it’s not the case,” Jolicoeur said. “I don’t think it’s any parent’s life project to send their kids on an empty stomach in the morning to school.”
Funding for the program comes in part from provincial governments, but he says most of it comes from private donations.
Earlier this year, the government announced $1 billion over the next five years for a national school food program in the upcoming budget. Jolicoeur said while the move is a step in the right direction, it is only the beginning and does not eliminate the need for their services.
Breakfast Club of Canada is calling on Ontarians to donate to the organization through the website or by texting “CLUB” to 20222.
The Breakfast Club said MTY Foundation will also be matching all donations until Oct. 31.
“We believe that feeding kids is everyone’s business,” Jolicoeur said.
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