Windsor mom hopes Ontario follows Michigan to provide free breakfast and lunch to schools

Michigan is set to become one of a handful of states to start serving free breakfast and lunch to every student in public schools.

One Windsor parent says if this program was to be introduced in Ontario, it would  lift some weight off her shoulders. 

"There's actually been times that we didn't have enough food and we had to call food banks to help us out," said Tina Friesen, mother of a four-year-old and a nine-month-old. 

She said that if a such a program gets introduced in Ontario, it would help her tremendously.

"It's getting very expensive, we just bought groceries worth of $600 worth for our family and it looked only like $100 worth," said Friesen. 

"Even being on ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program) and getting baby bonus, it's still a struggle every day for us to get food," she added. 

Friesen says she visits United Way's Summer Eats for Kids program twice a week to pick up free food, which helps her feed her family. 

The bill passed in Michigan last week. The initiative is pegged at $160 million in the 2024 budget, and will benefit about 1.4 million students. The program will start in the upcoming school year. 

The program is called the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. Those programs are based on the national dietary guidelines.

In Ontario, Patrick Bissett, press secretary to the minister of Children, Community and Social Services, said in a statement to CBC News that nearly 70 per cent of provincially funded elementary and high schools across the province have a student nutrition program.

He added that the Ontario Student Nutrition Program helps provide breakfasts, snacks and lunches to kids in school across Ontario. 

In Windsor-Essex specifically, eight schools provide breakfast programs and 85 schools provide a snack program, Bissett said.  

The province did not respond to questions from CBC about whether Ontario is considering expanding the program.

Between the four school boards in Windsor-Essex, there is a total of 185 schools primary and secondary schools. 

The UHC - Hub of Opportunities in Windsor, recorded a 28 per cent increase in the number of children served at its food bank between 2022 and 2023. 

'It's not enough:' United Way CEO says

Lorraine Goddard is the CEO for United Way Centraide Windsor-Essex. She said United Way started their summer lunch program for kids program to combat food insecurity. 

"It's going to take a lot of advocacy to push this issue forward because we absolutely do need to feed our children," said Goddard. 

Goddard said while the Ontario Student Nutrition Program helps the kids during the school year to have something to snack on, "it is not enough. They're coming to school hungry."

"When kids are home from school, they don't even have access to whatever snack or whatever food program is available in their school," said Goddard.  

"We hear all the time, particularly in certain schools, how teachers are literally bringing food to their classrooms to feed kids and they're hungry."

Goddard added that the funding is not enough.

"It is not even a meal program, Any meal program generally that they do offer, often it is supplemented by other fundraising support from the community." 

'Your kids deserve it just as much as our kids'

Diane Golzynski, the deputy superintendent, finance and operations at the Michigan Department of Education, said when children are hungry, it reflects in everything they do. 

"It's the only thing they can think about," said Golzynski. "Not what the teacher is saying, not what lessons are provided, nothing. They are just thinking about food."

Golzynski added that while many kids all over the world are facing the same issue, providing a program like the one Michigan just approved allows teachers to do their job — "and that's to teach our future generation."

Golzynski said governments should also focus on making it free for all, to eliminate the stigma. 

"It allows every kid to be treated exactly the same...your kids deserve it just as much as our kids do, right?" she said.