Close to $50 million to provide breakfasts in elementary schools in disadvantaged areas of Québec

QUÉBEC CITY, June 22, 2018 – Thanks to financial assistance of nearly $50 million over five years granted to school boards, elementary schools located in disadvantaged areas will be able to offer a nutritious breakfast program to their students every day of school, starting this September. The Breakfast Club already supports about 300 elementary schools, to which over 400 new schools will be added. As a result, about 180,000 preschool and elementary school students from more than 700 schools will benefit from the program.

Sébastien Proulx, Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports and Minister responsible for the Capitale-Nationale region, made the announcement today during a visit to the École Marguerite-Bourgeoys in Québec City. Breakfast plays a vital role in a child’s day. In addition to having an undeniable effect on learning and educational success, it creates a moment of socialization and promotes the acquisition of healthy eating habits by young people.

This announcement is part of the strategy for educational services offered to children from birth to age 8 unveiled last January, It’s All About the Children. The goal is to create conditions that provide equal opportunity for educational success for all children and make it possible for all children to acquire essential skills and knowledge, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics, before the end of the second year of the first cycle of elementary school.

Quotes:

Educational success is everyone’s business. The breakfast program is a concrete example of what schools and community organizations can accomplish by working together. It may be taken for granted by many, but not all children in Québec have daily access to a nutritious meal for a good start to the day, a winning condition for success. We therefore decided to expand pre-existing food aid in high schools and elementary schools in disadvantaged areas.  We want to complete the current offer and ensure that all children in Québec have something healthy to eat before starting their day in class.

– Sébastien Proulx, Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports and Minister responsible for the Capitale-Nationale region

For the Breakfast Club, its partners, its employees and its many donors who have been carrying this message and been committed to this mission for 23 years, it’s a great day.” We welcome the announcement made today with great pride and enthusiasm.

– Daniel Germain, President and founder of the Breakfast Club

Key points

• Elementary schools whose socio-economic index is 8, 9, or 10 will be able to offer their students a nutritious breakfast program every day of school.
• Schools will have the opportunity to develop partnerships to offer the breakfast program with the Breakfast Club or another food aid organization approved by the Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement Supérieur.
• The It’s All About the Children strategy unveiled on January 16 will provide the 800,000 children aged 0 to 8 with equal opportunity for educational success.