‘It’s manner past something we’ve ever skilled earlier than,’ says Simcoe-Muskoka public well being dietician
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been amended to appropriate attribution of a quote from the Simcoe Muskoka District Well being Unit. CollingwoodToday apologizes for the error.
In Simcoe County, one in 5 households are meals insecure. Throughout Ontario, one in 4 youngsters below the age of 18 are meals insecure.
On June 12, the Simcoe County District Faculty Board hosted the Simcoe Muskoka District Well being Unit to offer a presentation on meals insecurity in Simcoe County and the way it’s impacting faculties and college students. Following the presentation, trustees determined they need to take extra motion to handle the problem by sending letters to the province and County of Simcoe councillors, pleading for extra assist.
Lower than half of Simcoe Muskoka college students have reported to the well being unit that they had been consuming breakfast earlier than college and greater than 2,200 college students report they go to mattress or college hungry.
“This is higher than Simcoe rates we saw five years ago,” Affiliate Medical Officer of Well being Dr. Lisa Simon with the Simcoe Muskoka District Well being Unit advised trustees.
“The magnitude of the issue is increasing and it’s way beyond anything we’ve ever experienced before,” stated Jody Dawson, public well being dietitian, additionally with the SMDHU.
Simon famous that faculty snack and meal packages alone don’t resolve family meals insecurity – solely earnings options do.
“(It) can provide some relief to families, but the degree of financial hardship by the time families are experiencing food insecurity is more than can be meaningfully addressed by these programs alone,” stated Simon.
The Eat Nicely To Excel program is a non-profit native partnership committee that helps volunteer-run breakfast, lunch, and/or snack packages for kids and youth in all faculties in Simcoe County. This system has been in existence for greater than 20 years.
The group partnership committee that oversees this system contains the Simcoe County District Faculty Board, in addition to the Simcoe Muskoka District Well being Unit, United Manner Simcoe Muskoka, Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District Faculty Board, the Sharing Place Meals Centre, the Karma Challenge and Peterborough Youngster and Household Companies.
Base funding for program is supplied by the provincial Ministry of Kids, Group and Social Companies.
In 2022/23, the ministry supplied $447,000 to this system in Simcoe County, with different organizations and fundraisers bringing the whole that 12 months throughout all faculties to $650,000. The board estimates the ministry and organizational funds cowl 10 to fifteen per cent of this system’s working prices.
The funding supplied by the province pales compared to the necessity in Simcoe County, so many colleges do their very own fundraisers or are the recipients of fundraising carried out in the neighborhood on their behalf.
This implies this system can range considerably between the 100 faculties throughout the SCDSB’s purview relying on how a lot cash that faculty’s group can increase.
Chair and Orillia/Severn/Ramara trustee Jodi Lloyd talked about that Ontario is second to final provincially for funding a lot of these packages. Whereas she acknowledged that the federal authorities introduced a nationwide college meals program earlier this 12 months, she stated the sum of money being supplied is minimal and isn’t sufficient to make up the distinction.
“It’s so shocking to me that we live in Ontario and we have such a high number of people who are food insecure,” stated Lloyd.
Adjala-Tosorontio/Clearview/Essa trustee Brandy Rafeek famous she had heard that in some circumstances, faculties had been monitoring who was accessing the packages, and had been denying entry to some college students in the event that they didn’t really feel they honestly wanted it.
“What is our board’s protocol, and how is that put out there?” she requested.
Superintendent of schooling Greg Jacobs stated communication is ongoing between the board and faculties.
“It (should be) non-stigmatizing. So anyone should have access to food. If there is a situation where a staff member may be restricting … then our school leaders would have a conversation,” he stated. “Food access in our schools is a priority.”
On the finish of dialogue, Rafeek put ahead two motions for the board to put in writing a letter to every the Ministry of Kids, Group and Social Companies and County of Simcoe’s committee of the entire to tell each of the scenario in Simcoe County, requesting the province begin a program that may match federal funds for scholar diet, and asking the county for extra funds to assist native college diet packages.
Trustees voted in favour of the motions on Wednesday evening. The motions will have to be authorised on the common board assembly earlier than going into impact.
