From Policy to Practice: Unpacking the National School Food Program
June 4
1:00 – 1:30pm
Room 520
Announced in Budget 2024 with an investment of $1 billion over five years, the National School Food Program (NSFP) aims to provide meals to up to 400,000 kids every year, by working with provinces and territories and Indigenous partners to enhance and expand access to school food programs across the country. The National School Food Policy, released June 20, 2024, sets out a collaborative, long-term vision for school food programs in Canada.
Furthermore, Budget 2025 proposed to introduce legislation and provide $216.6 million per year, starting in 2029-2030, to make the NSFP permanent. The National School Food Program Act cements the Government of Canada’s commitment to maintain long-term funding for the ongoing implementation and maintenance of the NSFP.
This presentation will unpack the National School Food Program and Policy from the federal perspective. It will provide key insights on the nuts and bolts underpinning the components of the NSFP and how the delivery of the NSFP is informed by the National School Food Policy and federal investments in school food data and research, to ensure that school food programs across Canada are informed by the latest robust, applied evidence and real community needs.
Bio:
ERIN GILLESPIE is the Acting Director General of the National School Food Program at Employment and Social Development Canada, where she has led the policy development and implementation of the NSFP since 2023. She has been a federal public servant for nearly 20 years and has held policy leadership roles across federal organizations including Employment and Social Development Canada, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Erin holds a master’s degree in public administration from Carleton University. Outside of government, Erin is raising two young kids, moonlighting as a decidedly average drummer, and printing custom t-shirts and bags out of her kitchen.