The federal government is contributing $7.1 million over the next three years to help expand Prince Edward Island’s school food program, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Friday morning on CBC’s Island Morning.
The money will go straight into the province’s program to make it “truly universal,” Trudeau told host Mitch Cormier.
“This is about taking pressure off of families, making sure they know that no matter how rushed they are in the morning, there is going to be good, high-quality, nutritious food there for their kids every single day if they need it.”
The funding comes from the federal government’s five-year, $1-billion national school food program.
In a news release, the federal government said the funding “will provide over 1,500 more kids with healthy lunches, and over 800 more kids with healthy breakfasts and snacks this school year. With this agreement, a two-child family in Prince Edward Island will save $800 in grocery bills a year on average.”
Overall, the Trudeau government expects the funding will result in around 480,000 more meals served to kids in P.E.I. this school year, according to the release.
The P.E.I. government pays around $6 million annually to the non-profit that runs the school food program on the Island. Additional revenue comes from fees paid by families.
