As food costs remain on the rise, many parents and caregivers are struggling to afford healthy food for their families. In Canada, one in four children live in food insecure households - rates we know are significantly higher in northern, Indigenous communities.
School food programs are a lifeline for these families, providing reliable access to nutritious food for young learners. This supports increased learning & health outcomes for kids, while decreasing grocery bills for families.
The Yukon Food For Learning Association (YFFLA) knows this. Since the 1990s, the YFFLA has promoted and supported school food programming across the Yukon. Working to secure and administer funding for territorial school food programs, this non-profit organization plays a key role in increasing access to school food services & promoting food literacy.
The Yukon First Nations Education Directorate (YFNED) also knows this. Since 2020, YFNED has been leaders in school food programming for Indigenous students. Not only has their Nutrition Team ensured reliable access to in-school meal services throughout the territory, but they have also provided food hampers, family feasts, and other nutritional supports.
The federal government also sees the benefit in improved student access to nutritious food. In April 2024, Canada announced their National School Food Program, committing $1 billion to school food over five years. Through the Canada - Yukon National School Food Program Agreement, our territorial government will be receiving approximately $7.4 million for school food programs across the Yukon from 2024-2027. Though this may seem like enough for students in our communities, this funding parcels out to be $1.44 per child per day - an amount not nearly enough to meet the nutritional needs of our youth.
At the beginning of the 2025 school year, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) denied funding to YFNEDs Rural Nutrition Program. This has left nearly 1,000 Indigenous students living in rural Yukon communities without access to essential school food services. YFNED is currently appealing this decision, and asking for support.
Despite this devastating disruption, federal funding provided to the Yukon government ($1.44 per child per day) will not begin rolling out until January of 2026.
On October 10th, 2025, the federal government announced that the National School Food Program would be made permanent, committing $216.6 million in investments annually, starting 2029-30.
While we applaud Canada for taking action to safeguard the health and wellbeing of youth across the country, it is essential that we continue to advocate for school food programs that reflect the needs of Yukon learners. To do this, we need school food programs in the Yukon that are universal, responsive to local needs, and developed in active partnership with Indigenous communities and organizations throughout the Yukon.
As we approach the implementation of the National School Food Program in the Yukon, our team will continue to cultivate this knowledge hub to ensure it is reflective of the current school food landscape.
At the Diversifying Food Systems Conference in August 2025, the Yukon Food Security Network brought together voices from across the territory for a conversation on school food.