Sask. risking millions in funding if it doesn't sign on to National School Food Program: expert

An expert says the Saskatchewan government could lose out on millions of dollars if it chooses not to sign on to the National School Food Program. 

Last year, Ottawa announced it had set aside $1-billion over five years with the goal of delivering meals to an additional 400,000 children per year in schools.

In the months since the announcement, the federal government has struck deals with Newfoundland and Labrador, , Ontario,  New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Nunavut, according to Employment and Social Development Canada

Saskatchewan has yet to sign on for the program. As of Friday, Premier Scott Moe said the province is still weighing its options. 

"Our education minister [will] have more to say there in the days ahead. Always looking with the the programs that come forward from the federal government is to, you know, what happens at the five-year mark. Often these are three- or five-year programs and then the funding isn't replenished," Moe said. 

Potential to miss out on millions

One expert said not taking part in the national program could be a huge miss for the province.

Rachel Engler-Stringer, a professor of community health at the University of Saskatchewan, said Moe's concerns are hard to hear. 

"I know that the whims of governments change when there are different governments in power. However, I think that this just makes sense. I mean we are literally just doing what the whole rest of the world is already doing," Engler-Stringer said. 

Canada is actually far behind other countries which have offered national school food programs for decades, Engler-Stringer said. She said the programs can have different models, with some requiring students to pay and others being entirely free of charge. 

Either way, offering food at school has been shown to improve education outcomes, and the mental and nutritional health of students, Engler-String said.

There are no hard numbers available on what the deal could look like for Saskatchewan. Employment and Social Development Canada said funding details would only be released once an agreement has been reached.

Engler-Stringer said it would likely be similar to the deal struck with Manitoba. That means Saskatchewan could potentially be walking away from $17 million.

She said that money could triple the funding levels in the province, as Saskatchewan spends the least amount of money in Canada. 

"We do have some programs, but they're small. They're targeted, meaning that only kids who are sort of perceived as being poor or needing a program are generally offered the program. There aren't enough dollars for every kid to participate," she said. 

A spokesperson for Employment and Social Development Canada said the deals it has already signed will reach more than 293,000 kids this school year and that the federal government is working with Saskatchewan to expand the school food program "as quickly as possible."

The federal government could start providing funding before the end of this current school year if a deal is signed.