The Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Health and Community Services, today announced $140,000 in funding to support the School Milk Foundation. The funding will help ensure the foundation can mitigate a price increase for K-12 students accessing milk at schools throughout Newfoundland and Labrador for the 2023-24 school year.
The School Milk Foundation is a not-for-profit organization funded by the Dairy Farmers of Newfoundland and Labrador. The organization is focused on increasing access to milk for school-aged children and youth in Newfoundland and Labrador. The program, currently operating in 260 schools in the province, provides both white and reduced sugar chocolate milk at a subsidized rate for students.
In addition to supporting access to milk, the program provides curriculum-based nutrition education programs in schools. A Registered Dietitian provides virtual live presentations for Kindergarten to Grade 6 classes in schools in all regions of the province. The program also provides a number of promotional programs to schools each year. More information can be found here.
The Provincial Government, through the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, also provides $250,000 annually to support the printing of school milk packaging.
Quotes
“The School Milk Foundation plays a key role in providing access to milk for students. Milk contains a number of nutrients that school-aged children and youth are under consuming, including calcium and vitamin D. This funding will ensure that the organization will meet its current financial commitments and maintains the quality of the program in 260 schools throughout the province.”
Honourable Tom Osborne
Minister of Health and Community Services
“This funding will have a tremendous impact for students and families across our province. Keeping the price of school milk where it has been since 2019 is crucial to offering affordable nutrition at schools, at a time of high inflation when it is even more important.”
Wayne Simmons, Chair
School Milk Foundation of NL
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Learn more
School Milk Foundation
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