2024.EX17.1

Background

“The rising cost of groceries is putting pressure on families in our City. In Toronto, nearly one in three food bank clients are children and youth. The reality is, in our city with so much wealth, we have thousands of kids going to school every single day hungry. When you’re hungry, you can’t learn. We need our kids to be able to focus on their teacher, not their hunger. We know that student meal programs increase attendance, improve math, science and reading scores, reduce dropouts, and create healthier communities.”

Source: City of Toronto

Item Description

This item requests for a “report back by the second quarter of 2025 on a vision and strategy for achieving a universal student food program, consistent with Toronto’s Cool Food commitments, where a universal mid-morning meal is provided in Toronto by the 2026/2027 school year; a clear strategic path to achieving a universal lunch program no later than 2030” and more.

Source: City of Toronto

Proposed by

Executive Committee